My Annoying Brothers
by blondegirl13
Summary: Lucy is being over-protected by her three older brothers to the point that they forbid her to talk and be friends with other guys. Is this just brotherly love? Or something more?
1. Chapter 1

_**Hello everyone this is my very first fanfic .. Please be kind ;) I'm not that fluent in English so, yeah please be kind ;) Hehehe … R&amp;R**_

**My Annoying Brothers**

"Good morning everyone"

"Good morning Lucy-chan!"

"Aargh. . . Stop with that 'chan' already Natsu-nii! I'm already sixteen years old! Until now you're still treating me like a little girl!" yelled Lucy, the youngest in the Fernandes siblings.

"Lucy's right Natsu, stop treating our cute sister like a little girl" Gray agreed, coming down the stairs.

"And you Gray-nii, stop calling me 'cute', it's making me sick. I've told you many times not to call me that especially in front of my friends, it's so embarrassing" Lucy continued.

"Oh? And why is it that you're getting embarrassed now?" butted Jellal, the eldest sibling. "I thought you really love being called 'cute' Lucy" he teased.

"Jellal-nii, it's different now okay? Besides, I'm even old enough to get a boy-"

"NO!" chorused the three boys.

"Hey! I haven't finished my sentence yet!" cried Lucy.

"The word 'boyfriend' is forbidden in this house." Natsu said.

"You're all unfair! Why is it that you're allowed to have girlfriends? You even bring them here in the house! This is just so unfair! I hate all of you!" cried Lucy, while stomping to get her school bag ready to go out.

"Hey Lucy you haven't eaten breakfast yet!" called Jellal.

"I don't have appetite" Lucy replied in a weak tone. "Natsu-nii, Gray-nii, Jellal-nii I'll be going now." Then Lucy went out.

"…"

The three boys stared at each other.

"Natsu, apologize to her later. It's your fault." Gray broke the silence.

"Why just me? Besides, we three all agreed in this. I just voiced it out. Or are you two now agreeing that she can have a boyfriend?" said Natsu.

"OF COURSE NOT!" Gray and Jellal howled.

"Good. Then you apologize to her later Jellal-nii, since you're the eldest" declared Natsu.

"You twins are sure pissing me off" Jellal uttered.

"Jellal-nii, Natsu, I'll be going first. I got a bit worried about her. She might commit suicide or something" Gray joked.

"Ice freak watch your mouth!" Natsu yelled angrily at Gray.

"Hey cool it down okay? I'm just joking."

"It's not funny"

"Okay. Then she might elope with some scumbag and don't return anymore"

"Gray I'll fucking kill you now!" Natsu chased Gray out of the house.

Jellal just sweat dropped after watching the twins.

"Might as well go to school too" he said to himself. "I guess the apologizing work all goes to me. I'll just do it later" he added.

Then he locked the house and went to school.

**~At Fairy Academy~**

**Lucy POV**

I really hate them. I hate them! They don't have anything to do except interfere with my life. Just how long do they plan to control me? I understand that they're protecting me because we don't have our parents anymore. But this is just too much. I'll end up being an old maid while they enjoy chasing countless girls' skirts. I can't even have my own savings since Jellal-nii forbids me to have a part-time job. My allowance is just enough for a lunch at the school cafeteria.

Jellal-nii watches my diet; he's the one cooking our meals to make sure I eat healthy. I am only allowed to eat sweets once a week. And whenever I ask for some special dish that I would like to eat, he'll only allow me if there's something in return, like a back massage, getting a perfect score in my exams, but mostly he wants a week of unlimited hugs, (which I find cute, because he's the eldest but can sometimes act like a child) and out of my three brothers, I like Jellal-nii the most (although he gets in my nerves sometimes).

Gray-nii monitors all my monthly expenses, he's making sure that I don't purchase unnecessary things, hell, he even monitors my monthly period! Just how crazy can my brothers be?

Then there's Natsu-nii, the craziest of them all. He gets my schedule memorized, comes to my assigned homeroom every subject, making sure I don't skip classes. Every lunchbreak, he sits to a table near ours just to make sure that there are no guys joining our group, or no one is flirting with me. Actually he used to join in our table during lunches, bringing his girlfriend of the month, or girlfriend of the week (I already lost count on how many girls he had brought during lunch, and I don't really care). But I told him that my friends are getting uncomfortable at his presence so he decided to just sit in a table near us just to watch me. When it's time to go home, he and Gray-nii will wait for me outside the classroom so we can go home together, and making sure no other guy will dare to bring me home.

Yeah, that is how my life goes every day. I even wondered how I survived in that sickening cycle. Especially now, even if I try to stop myself being interested in guys, I just can't. I mean, this is a natural phenomenon. Sooner or later a guy will like a girl, and a girl will have some guy that she likes. I've had a few crushes before, but I kept it all to myself because my brothers will surely get crazy again just like before. . .

**~FLASHBACK~**

_**Normal POV**_

_(Lucy: 13 yrs old_

_Natsu &amp; Gray: 14 yrs old_

_Jellal: 15 yrs old)_

_Natsu and Gray are playing video games, Jellal is doing his homework and Lucy is writing something on a red cardboard._

"_Haha! Natsu you lose again! This is my 10__th__ win in a row!" Gray screamed while jumping in joy._

"_You just cheated you cheater Popsicle!" Natsu retorted._

"_I did not you Flame brain! Just accept the truth that I'm better than you!"_

"_But I got more girlfriends than you!"_

"_Oh really? So what if you have more girlfriends? Lucy-chan likes me more than you! And that can't compare to those bunch of useless girls you have!" Gray said while wrapping an arm around Lucy's shoulders, knowing that Natsu will get jealous._

"_Hey! When it comes to Lucy-chan it's a different story! I'll marry her someday!" Natsu yelled angrily._

"_As if I'll accept you as Lucy-chan's husband! I'll be the one to marry her and we'll have 30 kids!" Gray yelled back not giving up._

"_We'll have 40 kids!"_

"_I'll give her 50 kids!"_

"_Give it up Popsicle because I'm giving her a hundred kids!"_

_The twins' bickering just went on and on until Jellal can't take the noise anymore._

"_Lucy-chan will marry me!" howled Gray._

"_No! She will-"_

"_CAN YOU PLEASE SHUT UP!" Jellal yelled angrily. "I can't concentrate in doing my homework!" _

"_But Gray-"_

"_I SAID SHUT UP!" Jellal cut off Natsu. The twins finally silenced since they know they can't fight back their elder brother._

"_No dinner for the both of you. No video games for the rest of the week. And lastly, I WILL BE THE ONE TO MARRY LUCY-CHAN."_

_The twins stared at their brother with opened mouths. _

"_Hey Jellal-nii that's unfair!" the twins chorused._

"_I'm the eldest so don't bother competing with me. And besides, Lucy-chan likes me the most because I'm the one always taking care of her. Right Lucy-chan?" Jellal said while he winked at Lucy._

_The three boys just stared at their sister waiting for an answer. She suddenly blushed while holding the red cardboard to her chest._

"_Uhmm. . . Actually, I-I h-have someone e-else I want to marry" Lucy replied shyly._

_There was a long silence. The brothers are too shocked from what they heard from their sister. Gray was the first to speak._

"_W-wait Lucy-chan, did I hear it right? You said you want to marry somebody else?" Gray asked curiously._

"_Yes Gray-nii. There's someone in my class that I r-really l-like. He's so cool, and very kind, we even shared the same drink during lunch yesterday" Lucy replied._

_Her response obviously angered the three guys._

"_Actually he invited me to go to the amusement park this weekend" Lucy continued blushing madly. "He also said that he really likes me and wants to kiss-"but suddenly Lucy's sentence was interrupted._

"_That bastard! I'm gonna kill him!" Natsu screeched angrily._

"_No, I'll be the one to kill him!" Gray shouted back._

_Jellal silenced the two. _

"_Lucy-chan may I know the name of this guy?" Jellal asked in a calm tone but the expression in his face clearly tells that his blood is boiling in anger._

"_Uhmm. . . His name is Sting Eucliffe" Lucy replied worriedly, seeing her brothers' expressions. "Jellal-nii, is there something wrong?"_

_Jellal inhaled deeply, then exhaled as if there's gonna be a hell of an explanation that he needs to tell._

"_Okay. Lucy-chan, listen to me carefully because this is important." Jellal told her with a very serious expression._

_Lucy just nodded, attention completely focused on Jellal._

"_You shouldn't trust boys. They are not as good as you think they are. So I advise you, no, scratch that, I require you not to go near boys again, do not talk to them, and do not trust them."_

"_But Jellal-nii, how about you and Natsu-nii and Gray-nii? Does that mean I should stay away from you?"_

_Jellal chuckled. "Of course the three of us are exceptions. We are your brothers. So you won't trust any guys besides me, Natsu and Gray. And why would you need other guys if we are already here?"_

"_But I still don't understand. You are telling me as if guys are bad. Please explain me the bad things that guys do" Lucy pleaded._

"_Guys always take advantage of a girl's feelings. If you tell him you like him, even if he doesn't like you at all, he'll ask you on a date, or even ask you to be his girlfriend. He'll give you false hopes and broken promises. And because he knows that you'll do anything for him, he might steal your innocence; make you do things that you aren't ready yet. Then after getting what he wants, he'll just leave you and hurt your heart badly. Then he'll find another girl to replace you." Jellal explained. "But I will make this clear to you; I'm not saying that the entire male population is bad. But mostly they are. There are a very, very, very few percentage of guys that are good and can be trusted, like me, Natsu and Gray" bragged Jellal while the twins give him a thumbs up._

"_Then that means there are still guys somewhere that I can trust? Then I can marry him?" asked Lucy which made the boys shocked again._

"_Oh Lucy please enough of that marriage thing. You are too young for that!" cried Jellal. "Erase that word from your vocabulary. Who needs a husband when you have three handsome and loving brothers to take care of you?"_

"_Yes I know that Jellal-nii. And I'm happy that all of you take care of me and love me so much. But the time will come that you will find a girl that you will marry then make a family. The same for Natsu-nii and Gray-nii. Then I will be left alone" Lucy answered softly while a tear fell from her eye._

_Natsu saw her cry and ran to her then hugged her tightly. "Lucy-chan don't cry! I will marry you I promise! Then we can have as many kids as you want!"_

_Gray snatched her away from Natsu. "Don't believe him Lucy-chan. How can he marry you if he had a bunch of girlfriends? You're the only girl in my life so marry me"_

"_You liar! I saw you the other day flirting with a bunch of girls! I even saw you kissing them!" Natsu yelled at Gray._

"_Says the one who isn't flirting" retorted Gray._

_Lucy just laughed softly while watching the twins bicker. "Natsu-nii, Gray-nii, I appreciate it but it's just impossible for me to marry either of you because we're siblings. By the way, I think Jellal-nii is right, who needs a husband when I have the three of you. I really don't need any guy in my life. The three of you are enough" Lucy smiled sincerely. Then she kissed each of her brothers on the cheek._

"_I love you Jellal-nii. I love you Natsu-nii. I love you Gray-nii"_

_The three boys blushed madly. It's actually the first time Lucy treated them this sweetly. So when the twins couldn't hold back, they hugged Lucy very tightly while saying, "Lucy-chan you are so cute! I love you too!"_

_Jellal, still blushing, just remained silent then cleared his throat._

"_It's time for my part-time job so Natsu, Gray, take care of Lucy-chan. Make sure she eats dinner and sleeps early. Lack of sleep is bad for the health. I'll be going now"_

"_Roger, Jellal-nii!"_

"_And as I've said a while ago, you too won't be having dinner! I'm serious!"_

"…"

_Then Jellal went to his part-time job._

"_Uhmmm. . . Natsu-nii. . .Gray-nii. . . You can have dinner. I won't tell Jellal-nii, promise" Lucy said, worried._

_The twins hugged her again, crying while saying "You're the best Lucy-chan!"_

"_Uugghhh. . . Can't breathe"_

~FLASHBACK END~

Oh my God I can't believe I was so naïve back then. I just wish that they'd forget those words I said to them years ago. Things are really different now. All of my friends are happy with their boyfriends, and yes, I'm the only one in our group that's not in a relationship. My friends always tease me that I should blame my brothers' enormous sister complexes. Yeah, Road to the Old Maids, here I come!

While walking through the school building, I heard someone call me.

"Lucy-san. . ."

Wait, I think I just heard a familiar voice. I slowly lifted my face to see who owns the familiar voice. I suddenly felt blood rush to my cheeks.

"Can we talk? Just you and me, somewhere private. . ."

I froze; I don't know how to respond. Or should I respond? It's been years since I last saw him.

"Sting-kun. . ."


	2. Chapter 2

**My Annoying Brothers**

**Lucy POV**

"Sting-kun. . ." I just automatically uttered his name without me noticing.

"Is it fine with you Lucy-san? There's something important I want to talk to you about."

My head is battling with my heart. Should I go with him? Or not? I'm really confused.

"I'm sorry Sting-kun, but I'm not allowed to talk with other guys. My brothers will get mad at me."

I saw an irritated expression on Sting's face.

"Please, this won't take long, I promise" then he pulled my hand and brought me in an empty room. As soon as we entered the room he hugged me tight, as if there's no tomorrow. We stayed in that position for several minutes, but it's suddenly hard for me to breathe so I pushed him away.

"Sting-kun wait! What are you doing?" I asked, puzzled.

"I missed you, I missed you so much Lucy"

His response made me blush. I didn't know he still feels that way about me.

"Sting-kun, I missed you too, but-"

"I know. Is it about your brothers again? Why can't they just leave you alone? It's your life! Lucy don't let your brothers control you, you will never be happy if you'll just let them dictate your life!" Sting spoke with a low and angry voice.

"I'm sorry Sting-kun. I really like you so much but I just can't disobey them. They're important to me. I love them and they love me."

"So you already accepted the fact that you're going to be an old maid in the future?" Sting asked.

"Of course not, I want to get married and have a family" I answered.

I noticed that Sting's face is getting closer to mine. Oh my God will I finally be able to experience my first kiss?

"I also want to get married and have a family. . . With you" Sting whispered that I even barely heard it. He leaned closer and I closed my eyes, patiently waiting for the kiss while my heart beats crazily in my chest.

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"LUCY! WHERE ARE YOU?!"

Even before Sting's lips touched mine, I suddenly heard Gray-nii's loud voice. I instantly got nervous that I pushed Sting away.

"Crap, it's Gray-nii. . . I have to go. See you later Sting-kun. Bye" and I rushed outside the room. I ran on the way to my classroom to avoid seeing him. As I was near my classroom, my eyes caught a shade of pink. Oh, crap again, it's Natsu-nii! He was leaning on the wall beside the door, eyeing me suspiciously. I slowed down my steps then entered the room without making eye contact, I'm nervous as hell!

"Wait, Lucy" Natsu-nii grasped my wrist. Crap! Crap! He caught me!

"What is it Natsu-nii?" I asked, still not making eye contact.

"Where were you? You left early, but when I got here your classmates said you haven't arrived. Where did you go?"

"Uh. . .Uhm. . ." Damn! I don't know what to say! I haven't lied to my brothers before, so this is completely new to me. Damn I'm an idiot when making excuses.

"Uh. . . I j-just w-went to the r-restroom!" Oh my God what a lame excuse.

Natsu-nii just stared at me. This just made me nervous even more.

"Lucy, I smell a man's scent on you."

This is one of Natsu-nii's traits that I find mysterious. He can sense if a guy just got near me because he can smell it.

"Oh, that? I uh. . . I just bumped into someone at the school gates. . I didn't notice the guy, so I accidentally bumped into him. . Yeah that's it" I chuckled nervously.

Natsu-nii raised an eyebrow. It seems he doesn't believe me at all.

"Fine. If you say so. I know you'll never lie to your brothers. Am I right?" Natsu-nii asked.

"O-of c-course! Why would I lie to you. . ." Crap. Please forgive me Natsu-nii!

"Okay. I better find Gray now. He's been looking for you. Gotta tell that I found you already. "

"Oh, okay. See you later Natsu-nii" and I waved goodbye. Then I saw a girl walk up to him and they kissed. Wait, I suddenly realized something. I'm supposed to hate my brothers now. I'm really an idiot for forgetting that I just declared war to them this morning. Aaaarrghhh! Forget it! I really can't stay mad at them for long. . .

As Natsu-nii slowly disappeared from my sight, my vision now caught a shade of blonde. I think my eyes are playing tricks on me, am I seeing Sting-kun again? Oh well, better go inside.

After a few minutes, our Literature teacher, Freed-sensei entered the room.

"Good morning class"

"Good morning Freed-sensei!"

"So before we start our lesson, I would like to introduce to you the new transfer student" then Freed-sensei signaled him to enter the room. I opened my mouth in shock. So that's the reason why he is here!

"Everyone this Sting Eucliffe, he is from Sabertooth Academy. Please get along well with him" declared Freed-sensei.

I heard some of my classmates mumble things like, "Oh he is so hot!" and "Let's ask him out to join our lunch later!" I just ignored them.

"So Eucliffe-san your seat will be-"

"I know Sensei where I'll sit" Sting cut our teacher and walked to the seat beside me. It is already occupied so he said, "Hello there beautiful, mind if we exchange seats?" I suddenly felt myself blush, I don't know if I'm happy or embarrassed, or maybe both?

"Oh sure Sting-san!" the girl beside me answered without second thoughts. I can even literally see hearts in her eyes. I'm guessing most of the girls in our class are attracted to Sting-kun, if not all, and that includes me.

I'm feeling uncomfortable during the whole Literature class! Sting-kun constantly stares at me, then smiles for no reason! I try hard not to make eye contact with him and listen to the teacher, but I just can't concentrate on the lesson. It feels like the teacher talks in an alien language that it made me hard to understand. Damn you Sting! And that's not all, the exact same thing happened for the rest of my other classes. Sting still chose to sit beside me even though I'm not talking to him.

I'm really doomed now. I know Natsu-nii already noticed that there's a new student in our class. And I already know that he noticed the new student sit beside me every single time. Thankfully he didn't sit beside me during lunch break, because if he did, there will surely be a big trouble.

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Minutes before my class ends, I saw Gray-nii outside the classroom wave his hand to me. Yeah, waiting for me as usual. Then I noticed he is with Natsu-nii and Jellal-nii. This is rare, why is Jellal-nii with them? I know he had a part-time job. Did he quit already? Or is it because Natsu-nii already told them about the new student and he was curious? I glanced up at Sting and I saw him writing something. Thank God he's not staring at me.

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The bell rang. Yes, finally time to go home. I stood up, picked my books and my school bag then said goodbye to my friends. I glanced up at Sting one last time; he smiled and winked at me. I got surprised that I felt myself blush. Damn!

**NORMAL POV**

Lucy stepped out of the classroom and approached her brothers.

"Jellal-nii this is rare, are you coming home with us?" asked Lucy.

"Yeah, I got a 2-day off at my part-time job so I took the chance to go home with you. Don't you like going home with me Lucy?" teased Jellal.

"No! It's not that! I'm actually surprised because we hardly ever meet here in school. And you always come home late from your part-time job so I'm glad you can take a break and rest at home. Do you want me to massage you later Jellal-nii?"

Jellal smiled and ruffled her hair. "How can I refuse my cute sister?"

"Lucy I want a massage too!" butted Gray.

"Gray you're acting like a spoiled child" said Jellal.

Lucy just laughed. "Fine, fine I'm gonna massage the both of you. Natsu-nii do you want a massage too?"

But Natsu didn't answer. It seems like he's in deep thought.

"Hey Natsu! Lucy is asking you!" yelled Gray.

But Natsu just stayed silent for a while, before speaking in a serious tone.

"Uhm Lucy, who is that new student in your class? The one who's constantly sitting beside you?"

Lucy suddenly felt her cheeks get hot.

"Uh. . .Why are you suddenly asking about that Natsu-nii? Don't mind him, there's nothing to be worried about" Lucy replied nervously.

"Wait, you have a new classmate? Who is this guy? Is he flirting with you?" Gray asked curiously.

"No! Not in the slightest bit! He's not even talking to me."

"I don't know why but I have a bad feeling about that guy. Lucy, just stay away from him okay? I'll kill him if he dare touch even the tips of your hair" Natsu replied seriously.

"Natsu-nii you are being exaggerated. You are creeping me out."

"Stop that Natsu, you're scaring her" Jellal told them. "Violence never resolves everything"

"Jellal-nii is right Natsu. Do not talk like that in front of Lucy" agreed Gray.

"Okay fine!" Natsu had a sudden mood change. "So I will massage you later Lucy?"

"No you pervert! She will be doing the massage, not us!" yelled Gray.

"Oh is that it? Then after Lucy massages the two of you then I will massage her since she will be getting tired. Right, Lucy?"

"If that's the case then I'll be massaging her too!" retorted Gray.

"Uh. . . " Lucy was speechless.

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**~At the Fernandes home~**

"Jellal-nii just rest for a while in your room. I'll come later" Lucy said before entering her room.

"Okay you rest too Lucy." Jellal answered back before heading to his room.

Lucy dropped her bag, changed her clothes and lay on her bed.

"Damn that Sting he made my mind exhausted." Whispered Lucy then she slowly closed her eyes.

"Okay I better take a quick nap."

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15 minutes later a knock on her door suddenly woke her up.

"Oh, did I sleep too long?" she mumbled to herself then she stood up and opened her door.

"Gray-nii, Natsu-nii, what's up?" Lucy asked the twins.

"Do you remember the newly opened mall in town? Me and Natsu just thought we might check it out. Do you want us to buy you something?" answered Gray.

"Oh the Magnolia Mall? I don't have any particular thing I need right now, but it's up to you if you want to buy me something. Just take care okay? And come home early"

"Don't worry we won't take too long. You know I will miss you" Natsu said while flashing his smile.

"Okay enough of that, we should be going Natsu" then the twins kissed their sister's forehead and left the house.

Lucy glanced at the wall clock.

"Thank goodness I just slept for 15 minutes. I think I should head to Jellal-nii's room now"

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Lucy softly knocked on her brother's door.

"Jellal-nii, this is Lucy. Ready for the massage?" she joked.

She heard a chuckle inside the room. "Come in Lucy!" Jellal called.

So she opened the door and entered the room.

"So have you rested Jellal-nii?" asked Lucy.

"Of course, I'm just waiting for you this whole time" answered Jellal.

"You should've told me."

"But I want you to rest first"

"Okay. Now take off that shirt and lie down already"

Jellal took off his shirt and lied flat on his stomach. Lucy applied massaging oil first then started massaging his shoulders.

Jellal let out a moan. "There, there, aahh that's nice Lucy. You're really the best"

Lucy just let out a short laugh. "I learned this from you so you're better than me"

Lucy is massaging Jellal in silence when he suddenly spoke.

"Uhm. . .Lucy, we're sorry for what happened this morning. . .We just wanted to protect you. . .Don't be mad at us anymore, okay?" Jellal said with an apologetic face.

Lucy just smiled. "It's okay Jellal-nii. Besides, I can't stay mad at the three of you for too long. You're all I have after all"

"You know, it really hurt when you said that you hate me . . . I can't even pay attention to my classes because I thought you really hate me." said Jellal with a sad face.

"I'm really sorry Jellal-nii. . .I won't say it anymore. . .Uh. . .Uhm. . .Do you want unlimited hugs? Or do you want me to clean your room? I want to compensate for what I did this morning. . . I really regret hurting your feelings."

After hearing her sister's apology, Jellal just looked at her with a serious expression. Then he sat up, facing Lucy and he held her cheeks softly. Then he pulled her in a hug. Jellal whispered, "What if I want more than a hug? Will you give it to me?"

Lucy was startled. Jellal is hugging her half-naked! She suddenly felt herself blush and her heart beating crazily.

"Jellal-nii? What do you mean? I don't understand you . . . Is something bothering you? You're acting strange." Lucy tried to push Jellal off her but Jellal just hugged her more tightly.

"Let's just stay like this for a few minutes. I feel at ease when I'm holding you like this."

"Oh. . .Okay" then Lucy hugged him back.

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They stayed like that for a few more minutes until Lucy heard Jellal mumble something.

"You're mine. No other guy will take you away from me, not even Gray or Natsu"

"Jellal-nii did you say something?"

Jellal didn't answer, instead he slowly released their hug, his forehead touched Lucy's, then muttered,

"Lucy, I . . ."


	3. Chapter 3

_**Yeah and I forgot to mention in the previous chapters, I DON'T OWN FAIRY TAIL AND IT'S CHARACTERS (they already belong to HIRO MASHIMA). But the story and the plot of this fanfic are the results of my imagination ;)( this also applies for the future chapters)**_

**My Annoying Brothers**

"Lucy, I . . ."

"Jellal-nii, you know you can tell me anything. I'm here for you if something's bothering you" Lucy whispered while looking intently at Jellal.

He took a deep breath, then he finally spoke, "Lucy . . . I know you lied to Natsu about the new student in your class . . . That new student is Sting Eucliffe, am I right?"

Lucy was obviously surprised. "H-how did you know?"

"Way back when you first told me his name, I decided to find him. I did everything to gather information about him. So obviously I know how he looks like. Then I saw him sitting beside you in your classroom when the three of us are waiting for you."

". . ." Lucy didn't know what to say. She was clearly speechless.

"Lucy, please tell me the truth. Do you still like him? Do you still want to marry him?" Jellal asked with sadness in his voice.

"I uh . . . Honestly, it shocked me to see him again . . . I thought that I have already forgotten my feelings about him . . . But when I saw him again this morning, I felt this familiar feeling coming back. . ." Lucy replied.

Jellal looked down, his eyes hidden behind his bangs. Lucy can clearly tell that he didn't like what he heard.

She then caressed his cheek. "Jellal-nii, don't worry! Marrying is not my priority right now; I'll make sure the three of you will be married first before me. So don't be sad okay?"

"That's not what I'm concerned about, Lucy. It's a different thing."

"Then what is it? Please tell me." pleaded Lucy.

Then he pulled her again in a hug, which surprised her.

"Lucy . . . I don't want you to marry Sting . . . or any other guys . . . please stay beside me forever . . ." Jellal softly whispered.

"Jellal-nii what are you talking about? This isn't like you. You know, I'm really starting to believe my future as an old maid." Lucy forced a laugh.

"I'm serious Lucy . . . You're all I need"

"Uhm . . . Don't tell me . . . you and your girlfriend broke up again? Uhm . . . I guess that's why you're acting that way. You just have to apologize to her then maybe give her flowers or something . . . That way she may forgive you and you can be together again . . ." Lucy said trying to change the subject, she's starting to feel awkward.

Lucy was caught off guard as she was pinned down on the bed with Jellal above her.

"Je-Jellal-nii! What are you doing? Please stop this, you're scaring me . . ."

Jellal leaned his face closer to Lucy while saying, "Lucy . . . the truth is-"

"WE'RE HOME!" they heard the twins' voices. Jellal suddenly sat up.

"Uhm . . . Uhm . . . Sorry Lucy, I guess I'll take up your suggestion . . . Sorry I scared you, yeah I had troubles with my girlfriend so yeah I thought I could get advice from you . . . Haha. . . Yeah, sorry for acting that way" Jellal said forcing a laugh while avoiding eye contact.

"Sheesh Jellal-nii! You could've asked me directly you know? You got me scared as hell! I thought some bad spirit had possessed you!"

"Haha . . . Sorry about that . . . Okay I think I should start making dinner now since the two are already here. . ."

"Okay I'll be going first Jellal-nii" then Lucy went out.

Jellal wore his shirt then sat at the edge of his bed. "Shit. I almost lost control there. I really need to hold back when I am alone with her." He mumbled to himself.

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**~During Dinner~**

"So Natsu-nii, Gray-nii, what did you find at the new mall?" asked Lucy.

"Oh yeah, I found this cool gadgets store, I was thinking of coming back there since I want to buy a new phone" Gray said.

"Why? Your phone is still working right?" asked Lucy.

Natsu burst into laughter. "It's because his girlfriend broke his phone when he broke up with her! She accused Gray of cheating!"

"Shut up you Ash tray playboy!"

"At least when I get in a relationship, I don't give false hopes, I tell a girl straight away that I'm not into something serious. That way no one gets hurt when we part ways. I'm not like you. Besides, I'm just in for a bedmate." Natsu casually replied.

"Honestly, Gray-nii . . . You should get serious with your relationships . . . How will you find the one for you when you don't take your girlfriend seriously?" asked Lucy worriedly.

"Why should I bother finding her when you're already here . . ." mumbled Gray inaudibly.

"Huh?! What did you say?"

"Nothing . . . Oh yeah Lucy I bought something for you. I'll give it to you later. " said Gray, and then smiled.

"Gray you bastard you didn't tell me you bought something for her! What did you buy?" Natsu yelled angrily.

"It's none of your business. And besides, you're too much absorbed in playing at the arcade area that you didn't notice that I left and returned."

"It's because you said to take my time! You deceived me Popsicle!"

"It's not my fault you got deceived by me!"

"Hey shut it you two. Don't fight in front of the food." Jellal butted.

"Sorry . . ." said the twins at the same time.

Lucy just giggled. The three of them looked at her. "You two are very funny you know? You're both already 17 years old but you're still fighting over small things."

"Well, Gray is always the first one to start the fight"

"It's not me; you're always the one to start, Charcoal!"

"I said shut it. Finish first your dinner then continue your bickering in your room" Jellal said facepalming.

Lucy just continued to giggle at her brothers' antics.

"Oh yeah I almost forgot, since today is Friday, why don't we have a movie marathon tonight? My classmate let me borrow some DVDs. What do you guys think?" suggested Natsu.

"Wow I like that idea Natsu-nii!" Lucy said excitedly.

"So what kind of DVDs are those? Don't tell me you'll let Lucy watch porn- OWW!" Gray said while being knocked to the head by Jellal.

"Don't utter obscene words in front of Lucy" Jellal whispered with a serious tone.

"I'm just joking Jellal-nii, it hurts you know?!" Gray exclaimed.

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**~After Dinner~**

"Natsu-nii, I'll just take a shower then I'll return to your room. Don't start the movie without me!" said Lucy.

"Of course Lucy-chan!"

"Hey I said stop calling me that again!"

"Haha sorry sorry!"

So Lucy took a warm shower, wore her pajamas, and then went to the twins' bedroom. She saw a large futon spread on the floor, with enough room for the four of them. Few moments later Jellal entered the room carrying a big bowl of popcorn.

"Okay let's start the movie!" screamed Natsu.

"I'll be beside Lucy" said Gray.

"No! Me!" yelled Natsu.

"You don't get tired fighting aren't you?" butted Jellal irritably.

"Of course! When it comes to Lucy, I won't lose to that Popsicle!"

"Oh really? Wanna settle this outside huh Flame thrower?!" challenged Gray.

"I'm ready to go anytime!" countered Natsu.

"Okay okay enough of that Natsu-nii, Gray-nii . . . We won't be able to start the movie if you continue your quarreling. Gray-nii, you'll be at my right side, and then Natsu-nii will be at my left, Jellal-nii at Natsu-nii's left. Is that okay?"

"Fine . . . As long as I'm beside you." The twins answered.

"Well, can't be helped if it'll make them behave." Jellal had no choice but to agree.

So they lied flat on their stomachs on the futon, facing their wide flat-screen TV. They started their movie marathon, not noticing how many movies it took before they finally fell asleep.

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**~Next Morning~**

Lucy woke up with a feeling of being squeezed. When she opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was the bare chest of Gray. Her head was lying on top of Gray's right arm, both of them facing each other. She gasped. _"Oh yeah I forgot that Gray-nii have this weird habit of stripping while asleep" _she thought to herself. Thank God he's still wearing his underwear. She looked behind and found that she and Natsu are in a spooning position with his arm wrapped around her waist. _"Uh . . . This is so awkward, how will I get up with me being squeezed by the twins?"_ Lucy continued. She tried to remove Natsu's arm slowly, but Natsu just tightened his grip on her. She had no other choice but to wake him up.

"Natsu-nii, wake up. It's already morning . . . No, wait I think it's already noon. You have a date with your girlfriend every Saturday right?"

"Mmmm . . . Lucy, kiss me." was Natsu's response, still eyes closed. Lucy laughed softly.

"Okay fine, but you must get up now, or you'll be late on your date" replied Lucy. Then she kissed Natsu's cheek. She waited for Natsu to get up, but he didn't move, instead she heard mild snores from him.

"_What the hell? He just talked in his sleep?!"_Lucy thought angrily. She then stood up and threw a pillow in his face. "Natsu-nii, you idiot!"

"Ooowww! What the hell was that Lucy? Why so angry this early in the morning?" Natsu asked, very confused. His voice woke up the other two guys.

"You stole a kiss from me, you deceitful brother!"

Natsu suddenly felt two dark auras near him.

"Huh? Wait, I don't know what you're talking about. Gray, Jellal-nii, I don't really know what happened. I'm just asleep!"

"What did you do to her you pervert flame brain!" yelled Gray.

"I don't wanna hear that from someone who's wearing nothing but only his underwear!" Natsu yelled back.

Natsu suddenly felt a hand grip his shoulder tightly. He turned, only to see Jellal still enveloped in a dark aura.

"Where did you touch her? My reaction will depend on your answer."

Natsu is now sweating cold in nervousness.

"Uh . . . Jellal-nii, calm down! You've got the wrong idea! I didn't do anything, I swear! I will never do anything like that to Lucy!"

When Lucy felt the tense atmosphere in the room, she walked up to Jellal and removed his hand from Natsu's shoulder, then squeezed it tightly. The dark aura has finally disappeared.

"Jellal-nii, he didn't touch me anywhere. So don't worry about it anymore. Uhm . . . Although I said that he stole a kiss from me, it was only half-true. He was talking in his sleep and I thought he was already awake."

"How can you be sure that he's not pretending to be asleep? I know Natsu really has a habit of sleep-talking, but I can't be sure this time." Gray said skeptically.

"Sleep-talking is better than sleep-stripping!" Natsu shouted at Gray.

"Okay, so let's say that you really are sleep-talking, then, what did you dream about Lucy?" asked Gray, looking at Natsu suspiciously.

Natsu suddenly blushed. "That . . ." was his only response.

"Spill it out you pervert! Or you can't say it because you're having inappropriate dreams?"

"I'm not as perverted as you!"

"What did you say Charcoal?! Do you want me to freeze you to death huh!?"

"Oh? I'll burn you to ashes then!"

Jellal and Lucy just face palmed at the whole scene. Then Jellal finally spoke.

"Okay, stop it already. Really, what a nice way to start the day for the two of you. Clean up here while I prepare breakfast downstairs, or should I say lunch. I guess we watched too much movies last night that we slept too late." He said then went downstairs.

"Okay, I'm going to take a shower first. I have a date." Natsu said, then went to the bathroom with a towel over his shoulder.

"Gray-nii, I'll help you clean up." Lucy said, smiling.

"Oh, thanks . . . by the way Lucy I want to give something to you."

"Ah, the one you bought for me yesterday?"

"Yeah, just wait a bit." Gray opened a drawer beside his bed. Then he handed Lucy a small box. She opened it and saw a silver petite ID bracelet with her name engraved on it. On both sides were a snowflake-shaped charm and a key-shaped charm.

"Wow! This is so beautiful Gray-nii! Is it personalized?" asked Lucy excitedly.

"Yeah, I want to give you something unique, something that only you can have." Gray replied shyly, scratching the back of his head. "Actually I had one too."

"Really? Let me see!" Then Gray showed her another box, inside was also the same type of bracelet, but instead, his name was engraved and the two charms were star-shaped and the other was a heart-shaped padlock.

"So did you like it?" asked Gray.

"I don't like it, I love it! Thank you so much Gray-nii! I'll wear this every day!" exclaimed Lucy happily, and she hugged Gray tightly. (He is wearing clothes this time.)

"Uh . . . That's good to hear." Gray said, thankful that Lucy can't see him blushing madly. "I bet Jellal-nii has finished cooking now, so let's eat?" Gray continued.

"Okay!" Lucy said, grinning. "You can go downstairs first, I'll just change my clothes and put this in my room" she added while holding the box containing the bracelet.

"Oh, sure. Don't take too long." Gray responded.

Lucy went to her room, changed her pajamas then put the box in a drawer. She was about to go out when someone knocked on her door. She opened it.

"What's the matter Natsu-nii?"

"Sorry, can I borrow your hairbrush? I can't find my hairbrush, I think Gray misplaced it."

"Ah, it's in my school bag. Just look for it inside. Won't you have lunch with us?" asked Lucy.

"I'm kind of in a hurry so maybe not, but I'll be home before dinner."

"Ok then, I'll go downstairs now." Then Lucy went out.

As Natsu was rummaging Lucy's school bag, he found a folded paper taped on its edges. On the surface was written, "To My Angel Lucy", it's obviously a love letter. He can tell that it hasn't been opened yet, so maybe Lucy didn't know about it. He got curious to what was written inside so he opened it.

As he was reading the letter's content, his blood began to boil. He wants to ditch his date and kill that guy who sent that letter as soon as possible. But, he realized it's still not the right time. "No, I need to calm down. I'll talk to Gray and Jellal-nii about this when I get home." Natsu mumbled to himself. He put the letter in his pocket so that Lucy won't be able to read it.

Natsu went downstairs, when Lucy saw him, she asked. "Did you find it Natsu-nii?"

"Ah yeah, thanks Lucy . . . I'll be going now!"

"Have a nice date Natsu-nii!"

"_I don't think I'll enjoy my date this time" _Natsu thought to himself.

* * *

**_Update: I finally changed the 'dangle' to 'charm' ;) Actually it was suggested long ago by a guest reviewer so I thought 'charm' sounded better. Anyway, to the one who suggested it, thanks! ^_^_**


	4. Chapter 4

**My Annoying Brothers**

**Jellal POV**

I noticed Natsu has been acting strangely since he went home a while ago. I wonder if he had a fight with his date. Well, it is rare for him to have a fight with a girl since he does not take any girl seriously. Or maybe he finally found a girl that he likes? That would be in my favor since I will have one less rival. He was silent the whole time we are having dinner, ignoring Gray's insults and provocations. Lucy keeps on asking him what's wrong, but he keeps on saying that everything's okay. He can fool her, but not me. There's clearly something bothering him. But I won't urge him to spill it as long as it doesn't concern me.

After Lucy said goodnight to us and went upstairs to her room, Natsu walked up to me and said, "The three of us have something to talk about."

No doubt, if it's a talk that's between just the three of us, it's always about Lucy.

"Okay just let me finish the dishes. Let's all talk in my room." I replied. Natsu just nodded.

I ran upstairs then went to my room, the twins are already there waiting for me. Gray had a confused look on his face; I can tell that he doesn't have any idea what this is all about.

"So Natsu, what do we have to talk about?"

Natsu didn't answer; instead he reached inside his pocket and gave me a folded paper.

"What is this?" I asked, puzzled.

"Just read it" he said.

I unfolded the paper, and then silently read it:

_Lucy,_

_I'm sorry for sitting beside you every single time, I'm also sorry for always staring at you. I just can't stop myself admiring your beauty. I can stare at your beautiful face forever and not get tired of it. I know you're getting uncomfortable in my presence, so again I apologize. I've really liked you ever since I first saw you 3 years ago, until now, my feelings never changed. You know, I still have the card you gave me 3 years ago, I treasured it so much. And after I embraced you this morning, I think I won't be able to sleep tonight, the way you smell is still lingered in my mind. I think I'm already addicted to your scent. I just hope I can embrace you again the next time we meet. I really want to be alone with you, but your annoying brothers are always in the way. I just hope they will finally let you alone. But don't worry, I will find a way. I'll make sure you will be mine someday._

_Sting_

I crumpled the paper in anger. Gray snatched the paper away from me and also read it. As I predicted, he is also in rage.

"Does Lucy know about this?" Gray asked. Natsu just shook his head.

"I found that inside her school bag earlier still unopened. So I guess she hasn't seen that."

"We're lucky you found it first." Gray spoke.

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"Jellal-nii, please give me permission to kill this guy." Natsu spoke in a very low voice.

"Calm down Natsu. As much as I want you to kill him, we should think this thoroughly." Gray patted Natsu's shoulder.

"How could I calm down when I know that some bastard just touched Lucy? I'm sure that his scent is what I smelled from her last time. You just read the letter right? He's planning to get her!" exclaimed Natsu.

"Sshh, lower your voices. Lucy might hear us." I whispered. "We can't just rush to that Sting and beat him up. If she discovers it, she'll hate us again, saying we're going overboard just because someone hugged her. Let's consider how Lucy will feel this time."

"Jellal-nii, don't you think we should already tell the truth to Lucy? That way she won't be confused why we're acting like this." asked Natsu.

"No . . . It is still not the right time." I calmly replied. "But we should do everything to let her stay away from that Sting guy."

"We'll never know what that bastard would do to her, this guy is obviously insane." said Gray.

"Remember what we promised to our parents. We will never break it no matter what" I declared.

**~Flash back~ Normal POV**

_(Lucy: 5 years old_

_Natsu &amp; Gray: 6 years old_

_Jellal: 7 years old)_

_One afternoon, while Lucy is taking a nap after playing . . . Jellal approached his Mom and Dad._

"_Mom, Lucy-chan is not our real sister right? Where are her real Mom and Dad?" Jellal asked curiously._

_His parents looked at him in astonishment. Then they smiled._

"_You sure are observant. Yes, Jellal-kun you are right. Actually her parents already passed away. Her father, Jude Heartfilia, is already gone even before she was born due to an illness. Then her mother, Layla Heartfilia, passed away while giving birth to her. We are very good friends with Lucy's parents and they helped us a lot in the past. That's why I took Lucy to our home right after she was born and I adopted her. Don't you like her Jellal-kun?" asked his mother._

"_I like her! I mean, she's very nice, and much nicer than Natsu and Gray. But . . ." _

"_But what, Jellal-kun?"_

"_I was wondering if I can be her prince when we grow up. She looks like a princess. So I want to be her prince." Replied Jellal shyly._

_His parents just laughed._

"_Well, it's possible. But it depends on Lucy-chan if she wants you to be her prince. She may choose Natsu or Gray too, am I right, you two eavesdropping twins?" their Father said. And the twins got out of a corner, being found by their parents that they are eavesdropping in the entire conversation._

"_So, does Lucy-chan already know that she's not our sister?" asked Gray._

"_No, not yet. We haven't told her anything. She's too young and it will make her depressed if she knew that she had no other blood relatives in this world. It will just make her feel alone and isolated. So, the three of you, as her older brothers, love her with all you've got. Don't make her feel like an outsider. Okay? Protect her like a knight in shining armor."_

"_Roger, Dad!" the three chorused._

"_But Mom, when are you planning to tell her the truth?" asked Jellal._

"_When she's mature enough to understand certain things. I guess when she turns 18." Their mother answered._

"_So for now keep it a secret okay? Do you promise, three handsome older brothers?" _

"_Of course, Mom! We keep our word!" said the three boys._

**~End Flash Back~**

Yes. We should not tell her the truth yet. The time is getting near, but as long as Lucy is still with us, I can still love her the way I loved her before. I know I'm not the only one, even Gray and Natsu feels the same way. Until now, it is still my goal to be her prince. And after that, I'll make her my queen.

"So what should we do with this Sting guy?" Natsu asked irritably.

"I want to punch him the face until he's unrecognizable because he dared to touch Lucy, but I think we should talk to him first." suggested Gray.

"Okay, we'll talk to him, but without Lucy knowing it. We all know how she easily gets worried." I said.

"This is making me uneasy" Gray whispered.

"Why?" asked Natsu.

"Lucy might choose him over us. We know that she liked him before. She even wanted to marry him. We are just 'older brothers' to her. I think I don't even want to know the outcome of this." Gray answered.

"I'm confident that she will choose us." I said proudly.

"And why do you say that?"

"I just feel it." Well, it's not like I can tell them what happened during their trip to the mall with me and Lucy all alone in my room, right? So I'll just keep it secret.

"Okay, I believe you Jellal-nii" Natsu said.

"For now, let's just act normal around her. She can be observant sometimes." I said. They nodded and returned to their room.

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**~Monday~**

**Lucy POV**

So as usual, I will be going to school with my brothers. Nothing new, really. I just noticed they're really attentive now, I don't know why. But I just ignored them; besides, all of them are weird in their own ways. When we reached our classroom, I got this feeling that they don't want to leave. They just stayed outside the classroom until the school bell rang. I really don't know what's going on in their minds. But I don't want to figure it out, I'll just get headaches.

The one thing I'm really worried about is Sting, my brothers already warned me to stay away from him. I know that they're observing him from a distance. So I decided that I just better avoid Sting and not talk to him, although I can't avoid him sitting beside me. I don't want any troubles. I like Sting so much, I mean, he's the only guy that I've liked this much. But, my brothers are doing everything to protect me. I can't just forsake my brothers because of Sting. They're taking care of me ever since I was born. Even after our parents passed away, they protected me. Jellal-nii decided not to spend the money our parents left for us, he keeps on telling us that it's for our education, and instead he took part-time jobs. I even persuaded him that I also take a part-time job, but he didn't allow me. He said I should focus on studying first.

I honestly got irritated with them before, because they've become even more over protective right after our parents got into that unfortunate accident and passed away 6 years ago. They keep telling me that we're on our own now. That nobody would support us but ourselves. I got really mad at them to the point that I didn't talk to them for a whole week. I was really acting spoiled back then.

But now, I realized they were right. Yeah, the way they treat me is too much, but I got used to it eventually. I'm really lucky to have them. I wish to stay with them like this forever, (but I still don't like the idea of me being an old maid, and I still don't like the way they bring home girls, yet they don't even allow me to talk to other guys).

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**~Lunch Break~**

Me and my friends, Levy, Erza, Cana, Lisanna, Mira and Juvia, went to the cafeteria to have lunch.

"Lucy, I don't see Natsu-senpai around. This is rare, are your brothers finally letting you go?" asked my redhead friend Erza.

"I don't know, maybe something came up" I casually answered.

"If that's the case, then you should get yourself a boyfriend now! You're finally free!" Cana screamed.

"It may be true that Natsu-senpai is letting her go now, but what about the other two?" butted Lisanna. By the way, she and Natsu-nii used to date before. I don't know why they broke up.

"I don't see any of your brothers here Lucy. It can also mean they're having a secret meeting somewhere. . ." Mira said, with a suspicious grin on her lips.

"Ugghh . . . Guys, give me a break. Whatever the reason may be, I'm not the type to interfere with my brothers' businesses." I just said.

"Lucy-san is right. It's their own business. We shouldn't bother with them" agreed Juvia.

"By the way Lu-chan, the bracelet you are wearing now is so cute! Where did you buy it?" Levy suddenly asked. (Yeah, she is the only one I allowed to call me like that, because she's my best friend)

I glanced at the bracelet Gray-nii gave me. I just smiled.

"Oh, this? Gray-nii gave this to me. This is a personalized bracelet. If you see him, you'll notice he's also wearing one." I answered.

"Wow, that sounds wonderful, so the four of you siblings have a bracelet like this?" asked Levy.

"Uh . . . No, just me and Gray-nii"

"Really? So cute! It's like you're a couple!"

I almost choked while drinking my juice.

"Hey Levy-chan! He's my brother you know!" I said to her.

"You'll never know . . . Lu-chan don't you notice sometimes that your brothers might have feelings for you? I mean, they give you too much attention, they care for you too much . . . And it might be a reason that's why they are protecting you from other guys . . ." Levy spoke. I guess she's reading too many books that weird ideas are starting to fill her mind.

"Actually, I noticed it too. It was totally obvious, but it's just based on my perspective." Erza agreed.

The other girls just nodded.

I just waved my hand at them. "That's so impossible guys. They're all in a relationship right now. Wait, oh right Gray-nii just broke up with his girlfriend, Jellal-nii also. Ah, never mind that, it's still impossible!"

I looked at Levy, she's grinning at me and that expression of hers is giving me the creeps.

"Oh please quit that annoying smile on your face Levy-chan"

"But I'm serious Lu-chan. I really think that they love you more than just a sister. Haven't they told you they want to marry you someday?"

My heart skipped a beat. Yeah, I actually remember my brothers saying something like that. But, there's no deep meaning in that, right? I mean, I didn't even take those words seriously.

"Lu-chan, you're blushing! So they really did say that! You're so oblivious you know? If it were me, I would have noticed it right from the start. Well, that's expected from you since you're a total amateur when it comes to love." Levy continued.

"Oh, so we'll be able to witness a sibling love story huh? This is interesting" Cana uttered.

"A love blossoming between siblings? Forbidden love is so tragic, but it's exciting! Just like a shoujo manga!" Mira squealed.

"Uh . . . Guys, I think you're over reacting quite a bit, you know" I said, sweat dropping.

"I wonder who'll you choose, Lu-chan. They're all handsome, and sexy. It would be difficult to decide!" Levy said in a fangirl mode.

My crazy friends are now giving me crazy thoughts.

Damn you Levy-chan! Now I'm totally feeling self-conscious.

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**~Meanwhile~**

**Normal POV**

Sting was about to go to the school cafeteria, but suddenly, three guys blocked his way. He instantly recognized who they were, and he just smirked. All the three of them seem calm on the outside, but he can feel the murderous intent coming from them.

"Is there something you need from me?" Sting asked casually.

"Actually, yes. I was wondering if the three of us could have a man-to-man talk with you." Jellal answered.

Sting just continued to smirk.


	5. Chapter 5

**My Annoying Brothers**

"Sure . . ." Sting answered with a dirty look in his face.

"We'll talk at the school backyard. We don't want to make a scene in front of many students" Natsu said.

"Fine . . ." Sting just responded, following the three guys on the way.

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When they reached the school backyard, Gray was the first to speak.

"Why are you after Lucy? You know very well that we are not allowing her to talk to other guys, right? Why are you still pursuing her? What are your real intentions?" he asked.

Sting smirked again.

"My real intentions? Do you think I have some hidden agenda? Am I really that bad to you? You're a bit rude aren't you Onii-san?" Sting said smirking.

"I'm asking you properly!" Gray spoke, starting to lose temper.

"Okay. I want her. I plan to make her mine. It's that simple. She's so pure, so innocent; you'll never be able to find a girl like her these days. Just thinking about embracing her all night is already making me hot all over."

"You bastard . . ." Gray said with a dark look in his eyes while walking up to Sting ready to punch him, but Natsu got to him first.

"I'll fucking kill you!" Natsu shouted and threw a punch on Sting's face, he stumbled backwards.

"Why so furious?" Sting just asked casually while standing up and rubbing his cheek. Then suddenly he landed a punch on Natsu's face. "Lucy is old enough to decide for herself! Stop treating her like a five year old!" he added.

Natsu stood up and hit Sting again. "Shut up! We didn't take care of her and protected her just to be dirtied by some scumbag like you!"

"Oh yeah? So how long do you plan to keep her locked up in a cage huh? Until her hair turns white? Until her skin becomes all wrinkled?" Sting retorted, landing another punch on Natsu.

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"Stop it Natsu, we decided not to use violence. We just came here to talk. Did you forget already?" Jellal said calmly, stopping Natsu from giving another blow.

Natsu stopped, and then looked down. "Yeah . . . Sorry . . . I was not able to control my anger" he said while wiping the blood from the cut in his lips.

Jellal then stepped in front of Sting. "I'll tell you just this once, stay away from our sister. You can say whatever you want to say, we'll never accept you for her. You may not be aware, but I already know what kind of guy you are."

"Huh, really? So you already made a background check on me huh? What are you, her father? Or more like a possessive boyfriend? Going to such lengths is not what an 'older brother' normally does. Well, whatever . . . I've long since known that Lucy doesn't have 'normal' brothers. I'll also tell you this once; you can't keep her forever, she'll belong to me sooner or later. And when that happens, I can do anything I want to her." And then Sting smiled evilly.

Natsu and Gray suddenly felt Jellal's murderous intent become stronger, having a dark look in his eyes.

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"I am usually an understanding and calm person; I've never considered violence as solution to a problem. . . But this time I might change my mind. Just try and make me lose my patience. . . Don't take me lightly you bastard. . . You don't know what I can do. . ." Jellal spoke in a low voice while glaring daggers at Sting.

"Natsu, this is bad. I've never seen Jellal-nii like this before. He might actually kill Sting." Gray whispered nervously to Natsu.

"Yeah, I didn't know that Jellal-nii is this scary when he's serious" Natsu agreed.

"Well, we'll see about that. May the best man win. See ya!" Sting said and waved his hand while walking away.

". . . . . ."

It fell silent for a few seconds. Then Jellal finally spoke.

"Let's go back. The classes will start any minute now. Gray, bring Natsu to the infirmary."

"Okay. Let's go Natsu." said Gray.

"No, I want to go home now. I'll treat the wounds myself." Natsu told them.

"You sure Natsu?" asked Jellal. Natsu nodded in response.

"Okay, make sure to rest for the day. But you must eat first; you haven't eaten lunch yet. There's still some from the dinner last night left in the fridge."

"Yeah, thanks."

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**~Meanwhile~**

Lucy and her friends just got inside the classroom after having lunch. Then suddenly her classmate, Bisca, ran up to her.

"Lucy-san! I heard that Natsu-senpai got into a fight!" she said, panting.

"WHAT? WITH WHOM DID HE HAVE A FIGHT? WHERE IS HE?" Lucy asked, panicking.

"I don't know whom he had a fight with; all I heard is that Natsu-senpai went straight home after the fight." Bisca answered.

"Is he with Gray-nii or Jellal-nii?"

"I think not, I just saw Gray-senpai and Jellal-senpai went inside the cafeteria a while ago. Although I heard that the three of them were together before it happened. I guess Natsu-senpai went home alone. " Bisca continued.

Lucy fell silent for moment. Thinking that she wants to see her brother, but classes are still not over so she can't go home yet.

"That Natsu-nii, what the hell is he thinking, engaging in a fight inside the school! He's really so careless!" Lucy whispered to herself in a panicked tone. "I wonder if he's alright . . .Aaargh . . . That idiot brother, making me worried . . . "

Her friends just looked at her, feeling worried too.

"Uhm . . . Lu-chan, you can go home now. Don't worry about the class; I'll give my notes to you later!" Levy said, patting Lucy's shoulder.

Lucy looked worriedly at Levy and the other girls; they all just nodded to her.

"It's ok Lucy. Besides, you won't be able to focus on the lesson if something's bothering you." Lisanna added.

Lucy smiled. "Thanks guys." She grabbed her school bag and before heading outside the classroom, she said, "By the way guys, if my brothers came looking for me, please tell them I already went home okay? See you tomorrow!"

The girls waved goodbye to her and she left the school.

"No wonder her brothers are totally into her, she cares for them too much." Erza suddenly spoke.

"Yeah. I guess their bonds have grown a lot stronger after they lost their parents." Juvia agreed.

"Hey girls, did you notice, Sting-kun hasn't arrived yet?" Mira suddenly asked.

"You're right Mira-chan. But he was here before lunch break right?" said Levy.

The girls fell silent and looked at each other.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Mira asked with an evil grin.

"Don't tell me . . . !" Levy gasped.

"Hey what do you mean Mira?" Cana asked, puzzled.

"I'm thinking that maybe, it was Sting-kun who fought Natsu-senpai during lunch break!" Mira whispered.

"We can't be sure yet." Lisanna said.

"But we all know Sting-san is interested in Lucy-san ever since he transferred here." Juvia pointed out.

"And we all know how over protective her brothers are, especially when guys make a move on their sister. You saw how Sting-kun always sits beside Lucy and stares at her, right?" Mira added.

"Considering that what you said is true, I wonder how Lucy will feel if she discovered that Sting and her brothers are fighting behind her back." Lisanna said.

"Of course Lucy will be hurt." Erza answered. "She's one of the people I know that doesn't like conflicts."

"Should we inform Lu-chan about this?" Levy asked.

"No. As much as we want to help her, we shouldn't butt into other people's personal matters. And besides, we still don't have proof that our assumptions are correct. Let's just show her that we're for her and she has our full support." Erza explained.

"Very well said, Erza" Cana winked at her.

.

.

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**Natsu POV**

Oh fuck, my face hurts, my body hurts. I didn't realize it until I got home. You really don't feel anything when you're mad. And now that I've calmed down, I'm starting to feel the pain from those punches that bastard Sting gave me. I looked at my reflection from the bathroom mirror; I got cuts in my lower lip. And some mild bruise. I hope this is gone by tomorrow.

Still wearing my school uniform, I jumped into my bed and lied down. Ahh, I can't move too much, that bastard struck a blow on my sides. If Jellal-nii hadn't stopped me, I could have broken all his bones. I really lose temper easily when Lucy gets in the picture.

Okay, I'll just rest for now, although Jellal-nii told me to eat lunch, I'm still not hungry. And my body aches when I move too much. Maybe if I take a rest first, the pain will lessen.

.

.

.

"Natsu-nii!"

I suddenly opened my eyes. I'm thinking about Lucy too much that I'm starting to hear her voice in my head. I think I'm starting to go crazy.

I closed my eyes again.

"Hey Natsu-nii are you alright?!" I opened my eyes again, and I saw Lucy standing at the doorway of me and my twin's room. She's panting, it's like she ran all the way home.

"Lucy what are you doing here?" I asked, and I suddenly sat up in surprise. "Oooww shit!" I cursed, forgetting that I shouldn't move too much, my sides are hurting again.

"Natsu-nii, don't move too much!" Lucy said worriedly as she ran up to my bed, making me lie down again.

"Lucy why are you here? You should be at school now, the classes at not yet over." I just said to her.

"I heard you got into a fight, and I can't relax knowing that you're not fine."

"What are you saying? I'm fine. I just need a rest that's why I went home." Well, it's half-true.

"I don't believe you. You just screamed in pain right now. And have you looked at yourself in the mirror? You look horrible Natsu-nii" Lucy continued.

"Yeah I know. But it's nothing to worry about. I won't die just because of this."

"Fine, fine . . . You really like acting tough all the time Natsu-nii. Just let me treat your injury now."

I waved my hand at her, showing that she doesn't have to do anything. "Lucy, it's fine, really!" Then she suddenly grabbed my hand, squeezed it tightly and lowered her head, looking down. I saw a tear run down her cheek.

"H-hey! Lucy, what's the matter? Don't cry like that in front of me, please. You know that seeing you cry is my weakness right?" I said to her. I suddenly feel restless. Yeah, seeing my sister cry really makes me panic.

"You idiot brother. . . Stupid brother . . . Making me worry!" she said in a soft voice as her tears continue to flow.

I slowly sat up, careful this time. I lifted her chin and stared at her chocolate brown eyes, the most beautiful eyes that I have ever seen. I caressed her cheek and wiped the tears using my thumb. "Lucy, I'm sorry. Don't cry, please? Okay, I'll let you treat my wounds now, just don't cry anymore. Can you smile for me now? I'll get better fast if you smile." I stared at her with pleading eyes.

She stayed silent for a while, and then looked straight into my eyes.

"Promise me first that you won't get yourself in trouble again." she said.

Uh-oh, now I don't know what to say. I can't promise that I won't be in trouble again, but, I don't want Lucy to worry about me anymore. Okay, I'll just test my luck.

"Well, you see, you know that I'm really short –tempered. So I really can't promise to stay out of trouble. But, I can promise you that I'll do my best to avoid it. Will that do?" I nervously asked.

Lucy thought for a moment, she touched my hand caressing her cheek and then responded.

"That's not the answer I'm waiting for, but I guess that'll do." And then she finally smiled. "So if you disappoint me, I'll never talk to you ever again." She added.

"Yes, yes, my worrisome cute sister. I won't disappoint you. " I teased her.

"Normally I would yell at you for calling me that, but I'll let it slide for today. By the way, who's this guy you had a fight with?" Great, this is the very last question I want to hear from Lucy.

"Oh, that. It was just some jealous guy, because his girlfriend got interested in me." I lied. I'm quite good at lying. That's why I can get in a girl's pants so easily.

"It's really hard being chased by girls huh?" Lucy joked. I just laughed at her. Being chased by many girls doesn't mean anything to me; although there's a certain blonde girl with chocolate brown eyes that I want to chase me.

"So have you already eaten Natsu-nii?" she asked.

"Actually not yet. Will you reheat the leftovers in the fridge? I'm kinda getting hungry." Call me whatever you want, I'll be taking advantage of her kindness today and make her spoil me. It's very rare that I can have her all to myself, so I won't let the precious chance slide.

"Sure. I'll let you eat first before I treat your injuries. So are you gonna eat downstairs? Or I'll just bring it here?"

"Just bring it here, Lucy-chan."

"Okay, I'll be going. Don't forget to change your clothes; you're still in your uniform." Lucy said while grinning.

"I could say the same to you." I answered back. "I was really tired when I got home so I forgot to change. And my sides really ached so I can't move too much."

"Is that so? You want me to help you get changed?" she asked casually. Oh hell yeah I want to! But she might think I'm a pervert (which is actually true) and seeing her take my clothes off kinda makes me . . . Uh never mind.

"No, I can do it myself Lucy-chan, don't worry!"

"Oh, okay. Just be careful Natsu-nii." And she went outside.

I stood up from my bed carefully, changed my clothes (carefully), and went back to bed (carefully). I smiled at the thought that Lucy will be spoiling me today. I wonder if she'll be like this if she finally became my wife? Maybe she'll be much more affectionate than this?

I mentally slapped myself. Natsu, what were you thinking? At least think of Lucy becoming your girlfriend first! Thinking of her as a wife is sexual harassment! Apologize to her now!

"Oh, my God. Sorry Lucy . . ." I whispered to myself.

"What's the matter Natsu-nii?" asked Lucy. I didn't notice she was already here. It seems she didn't understand what I just said.

"Nothing. I was just thinking."

"Thinking about what?"

"Sexual harassment . . ."

". . . ."

I suddenly came back to my senses. Fuck, what the hell did I just say? I want to kill myself now. I glanced at Lucy and she had a very confused look. God, she's really going to think I'm a huge pervert now. Oh please, somebody kill me.

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**_Update: A/N and review responses deleted. ;)_**


	6. Chapter 6

**My Annoying Brothers**

"Uh . . . Eh . . . Lucy-chan, it's not what you think it is! You've got it totally wrong!" I blurted out nervously.

Lucy just stared at me with suspicious eyes.

"Natsu-nii, don't tell me . . ." Lucy whispered in disbelief. God, I hope she won't throw the plate of food she was holding in my face.

"Don't tell me, you're being sexually harassed by your girlfriends?" she asked worriedly. I mentally sighed in big relief. I'm thankful Lucy doesn't think of me in that way.

"Uh . . . Haha . . . Yeah, actually, kind of. You know how hot your brother is. Some girls can't really hold themselves back when in front of me. Haha!" My lying talent is so useful right now.

"Geez. You're going to be in trouble again, you know? Why just don't settle in one girl?" she asked. Actually, I'm already settled in one girl a long, long time ago.

"It'll eventually happen Lucy-chan" I just said to her and I smiled.

"Okay, don't think of bothersome things right now. Here, you should eat first, and then I'll treat your injures after." Then she gave me the plate of food she was holding.

"Lucy-chan, you know, you'll make a good wife." I said while eating. I honestly blurted my thoughts without thinking.

"Natsu-nii, don't tease me like that." She said shyly with a slight pink on her cheeks. She's so cute when blushing. Did I already tell that I'll be taking advantage of her kindness today?

"It's true Lucy-chan. Can you be my wife just for today?" Okay, no turning back now.

"W-what are y-you saying N-natsu-nii?! I'm your sister!" This time she's blushing really madly.

"Yes, you're my sister. So it shouldn't be awkward right? Just imagine that we're playing house. Don't worry, I won't do anything funny. Since you're taking care of me today, I want you to take care of me as how a wife takes care of her husband." Damn, it took me a hell lot of courage just to say that.

Lucy just fell silent. I can tell that she's undecided. But I should be at least glad because she's considering my selfish request.

"B-but, I d-don't know how to act like a w-wife." She uttered.

"Shower me with love and affection, be sweet, and take care of me as if I'm the only man in your life." I explained to her. Great, if she agrees, I think I can die now happy.

"Uhm . . . Fine! If it'll make you heal quickly then I'll do it. And besides, it's just for today. But don't expect too much from me, I'll just try to do what I saw in the television and movies that I have watched." She said, deeply embarrassed.

"It's fine with me. So, as for starters, will you feed me?" Yeah, right off the bat, I know. But time is gold.

"Okay," she said and hesitantly reached for the spoon, scooped some food from the plate and fed me.

"Wow, the food tastes much better now, Lucy. I think you should feed me every mealtime." I said.

"Sure Natsu-nii." She's obviously embarrassed. But well, I'm still the luckiest guy today.

"Call me Natsu."

"Uhm . . . Sure N-natsu. . ." She fed me until the plate's empty. "Do you want more? There's still some left in the kitchen."

"Nah. I'm already full. You fed me with love so I'm full now." Okay cheesy or whatever, but this pick-up line never failed me. Also this time, it really came from the heart.

"Okay I'll go downstairs and do the dishes. I'll return here to treat your injuries. Just wait here." I just smiled in response. She went downstairs quickly. She's really cute when blushing, when embarrassed, when feeding me, and when she said my name. I guess she's always cute in my eyes whatever she does. I so want her to be my wife now!

A few moments later she returned with a first aid kit in her hands. She sat beside me and touched my face, examining it.

"Now that I've looked closely, you sure got a lot of cuts. Even on your lower lip." She said while softly running her thumb along my lower lip. Shit, feeling Lucy's finger on my lips is making my heart beat out of my chest. Now that her face is so close to mine, I can't help but stare at her pinkish lips. It's my lifelong dream to feel those lips touch mine. God, I'm losing all self-control now!

"Lucy, just a kiss on my injuries will make it a lot better" Again, I blurted my thoughts without thinking.

She suddenly blushed madly again. "W-what?"

"I'm just kidding. Hurry, treat me now."

"Okay." And instead of putting ointment in my cuts, she neared her face into mine and suddenly kissed the bridge of my nose. Hell, she caught me off guard there!

"Well, I'm your wife now . . . So if a kiss will make it better . . . Uhm . . ." she whispered shyly.

Fuck, I think my heart will burst out of my chest any moment. I'm completely tongue-tied.

She continued to kiss each and every cut I had in my face. And there I was, stunned, stuck in between dream and reality.

And when the cut in my lip is all that's left, I'm expecting that she'll just leave it like that. But she kissed just below my lip, I mean; she just kissed a nanometer below my lower lip! It's like we almost really kissed. I want to faint right there and then. God, Lucy what are you doing to me? I suddenly felt all my self-restraint fly out the window and I held Lucy's cheeks with my hands.

"N-natsu . . ." she said in a soft voice. Damn! And that voice made me lose control more.

Still caressing her cheeks, and our noses almost touching, I softly whispered, "Lucy, I love you."

"I-I love you t-too, Natsu" she answered back.

Damn, I so want to kiss those lips! I want to ask her if it is okay but, I don't know how to ask it in the nicest way possible, and won't offend her. Yeah, I've kissed countless girls, but I didn't even ask permission from them, I just kiss them out of the blue. Damn it! What do I do?

I looked at her with questioning eyes, hoping she would get the meaning. She just smiled and closed her eyes. Wait . . . Is she giving me permission? Is she REALLY giving me permission? I know we are just pretending, but I didn't know she's taking this seriously. Aaarrgghh! Natsu, this may be your first and last chance! Don't let it slide! God, I take back what I said; I don't want to die now. Kill me after I kiss Lucy!

Okay, this is it Natsu.

Slowly, my lips met hers. I was in cloud nine. I just wish this moment would last forever. Her lips were so soft, and so sweet. I already did this with many girls, but now, it seems like this is just my first time. There's a rainbow of emotions swirling inside me that I can't explain. This is just so . . . amazing.

I moved my lips, brushing hers. It feels ticklish. I didn't use my tongue because she might freak out. Then I felt her lips move too, synchronizing with mine. Our lips remained like that for at least 15 seconds. She then pulled back, releasing our short, but very sweet kiss.

"Uh . . . I'll just . . . get an ice pack . . . for your bruise. . . I'll be right back!" and then she went out of the room. I knew that her heart was beating madly too. I just hope she doesn't regret anything that just happened.

I smiled, remembering the kiss we had just now. It was just a lip-lingering kiss, but it was the best I've ever received. I was her first kiss, and I can't believe it. Just this once, I'm thankful Sting punched me. Thank you Sting! I'd be more than willing to let Sting beat me up every day if Lucy will kiss each and every injury I have. Although we are just pretending, nothing makes me happy more than having Lucy as a wife. I know that she doesn't mean it when she said 'I love you' to me. Or more like, her intention was to show how she loved me as a brother. But, it's okay; she made me the happiest guy alive now.

She returned, holding an ice pack wrapped in a small towel in her hands. She then sat beside me on the bed and carefully applied it to the bruise on my cheek bone.

"We should ice the bruise for 15 minutes so it'll heal faster." She said. I just stared at Lucy, not taking my eyes off her. And then she noticed it.

"W-what? Is there dirt on my face or something?" she asked nervously.

"Not at all." I simply said. "You're so beautiful."

A sudden blush appeared on her cheeks again. Damn, now she is much more beautiful.

"Y-you're just t-teasing me, aren't you!"

"Of course not, I wouldn't have chosen you as my wife if you're not beautiful."

She just lowered her head, hiding her embarrassment. Well, sorry, but I can't help it.

"By the way Lucy, I have one last selfish request as your husband." Yeah, because I know time is running out. I feel like I'm Cinderella waiting for the clock to strike midnight, because Gray might arrive any time now.

"What is it?" she asked eagerly.

"Can you lie down beside me? I want to sleep with you. . ."

"Uh . . . I think we shouldn't do that Natsu-nii. . . "

Then, I finally realized my mistake. Fuck, wrong choice of words again!

"No! Not that! I mean . . . I want to sleep beside you! I'm kinda sleepy so I want you by my side while I sleep . . . I have no perverted thoughts in my mind! I have no intention of doing anything inappropriate! I promise!" I explained nervously. What's the hell with my mouth today? I think it has a mind of its own!

She then laughed softly. I felt confused.

"You silly brother, making me nervous. You're just like Jellal-nii." Jellal-nii? Wait, what happened between her and Jellal-nii that made her nervous? Damn I'm so curious now. But, forget that, I'll worry about it later. For now I just want to enjoy being with her. I signaled her to come beside me.

"Natsu-nii, wouldn't it get crowded when the two of us lie there? It's just a single bed after all." Yeah, the room has twin beds, one for me and one for Gray, that's why we don't sleep on the same bed.

"Then we'll snuggle." I said to her.

"What if your sides got hurt?" she asked again.

"I won't feel any pain if I'm beside you." I'm not sure about that, but I'll take any pain if it means that I'll be with Lucy on the same bed.

So Lucy nestled beside me. My left arm around her while her head rests in my chest. We're in a sweethearts cradle position. Damn, it's like we're a real couple. I wonder if she'll agree if I ask her that we sleep every night like this. No, Natsu, that's another sexual harassment you're thinking there.

"Lucy?" I whispered to her.

"Hmm?"

"Do you regret what we did?" I asked.

"What is it? The kiss?" she asked back.

"Yeah." I said.

"No." she just replied.

"Really?" I asked in glee.

"Why would I? A kiss is only given to someone important to you, right? And a family is no exception. You're my brother so I think there's nothing to regret about."

"Uh . . . Haha, you're right about that."

I don't know if I would be happy or not. I know I should be happy because she didn't regret what we did. But . . . Uh, I'm brother zoned. I guess that's to be expected since she doesn't know that we're not related.

"Lucy?" I whispered again to her.

"Hmm?"

"Let's keep this a secret okay? The husband and wife thing. I want this between just the two of us." I continued. Gray and Jellal-nii will surely freak out if they discovered this. Especially now that Jellal-nii can get really scary when it comes to Lucy. He might kill me first before Sting.

"Okay. . . Natsu-nii?"

"Yes?"

"I can hear your heartbeat."

"Really? What does it say?"

"I don't know. Does it say anything?"

"Don't you hear your name?"

"W-wha . . . what are you saying? Are we still playing husband and wife?" Lucy exclaimed in a low voice.

"Maybe . . . What do you think?" I asked while looking down at her.

"Natsu-nii, you're teasing me again. Your girlfriend will get jealous, you know?"

"I don't care, you're more important than them anyway."

" . . . "

We got silent, and then eventually we both fell asleep, still in that position.

.

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**Gray POV**

When I went to Lucy's classroom to fetch her, I noticed she's not there at all. Their class just ended and I'm scanning every student that goes out of the classroom, until one of her friends, the one she calls Levy-chan, walked up to me.

"Hello Gray-senpai! I'm sorry but Lu-chan isn't here anymore, she went home right after lunch break."

"Huh? Why?" I asked her.

"She heard that Natsu-senpai got into a fight. She got so worried that she went home right away."

"Oh, okay. Thanks! I'll be going now." I said, trying to hide the panic in my face.

"Wait Gray-senpai, can you give this to Lu-chan? These are the lessons she missed today." Then she handed me a notebook. I reached for it and put it inside my school bag.

"Sure, thanks again." I said then walked away quickly.

Damn, I never thought Lucy would discover that Natsu had a fight. She really worries too easily. This is bad, I must reach home quickly, and find out if that fire breathing playboy made moves on her since they're all alone. I hope not, because he's beat up and unable to move. We're lucky that Jellal-nii already went to his part-time job and he didn't know that Lucy went home after lunch break.

I walked faster, trying to reach home quickly.

.

.

.

When I reached home, I noticed it was quiet. I rushed upstairs, hoping not to see them sleeping together on the same bed.

When I went to the room I shared with Natsu, I suddenly froze. I didn't expect to see the biggest shock of my life.

There they are, sleeping on the same bed and in a position only couples do. I can't explain how painful it is. I felt like I'm a husband who came home from work and found his wife in their bed with another man. I don't know why, but I felt betrayed.

I dropped my school bag due to shock. Then Natsu woke up, it clearly surprised him to see me standing at the doorway.

"W-what is the m-meaning of t-this . . ." I just said.

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_**A/N: I apologize for the spelling mistakes and wrong grammar ;)**_

_**Woah! Another chapter finished! So what do you think about this chappie? Actually, I really got caught up with the NaLu moment and wrote more than I planned. Heehee. ;) I think I overdid the NaLu fluff. But, whatever, I still hope you liked it! And I just noticed, after I reread the last part on Gray's POV, it made me laugh because it's like Gray and Natsu are the couple and Lucy is the other lover. (Well, it's Gray's and Natsu's room after all, but it really made me laugh! Don't misunderstand me; I'm not that into yaoi. heehee) By the way, even though I overdid the NaLu moment, it doesn't mean that I have already chosen him to end up with Lucy in the end. I can still choose Gray, Jellal, or somebody else. *laughs evilly* ;)**_

_**And last of all, I'm already planning to do another fanfic. Actually, three story plots suddenly popped into my mind. All in AU, all with humor, and of course, all of them will have Lucy as a heroine; all that's left is to decide the male characters. (I don't know why, but for me, Lucy's really perfect to be a main female character. Actually, I'm a LucyXeveryhotandsexyguyonFairyTail shipper. Heehee.)**_

_**Update: Review responses deleted ;)**_


	7. Chapter 7

_**WARNING: This chapter contains a topic about PERIOD or 'Time of the Month', 'Monthly Visitor', or whatever you call the female monthly cycle. (*grin*) Yeah that's right, if you're a girl, I'm sure you know about it, but if you're a boy and know about it too then good! Heehee. If you're sensitive about those matters then I suggest don't read the flash back part of this chapter, or better yet, don't read this whole chapter, heehee. Don't blame me if you got disgusted or nauseous or whatever and say that this chapter is gross because you didn't like what you read. It's not my fault because YOU'VE BEEN WARNED. **_

_**But if you're a stubborn reader who wants to know everything and you're not sensitive at all, heehee, okay, CHAPTER 7 start!**_

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**My Annoying Brothers**

I glared daggers at Natsu, waiting for a response.

"Gray . . ." Natsu said, surprised.

Then Lucy woke up next, she turned and saw me with an angry expression.

"Gray-nii, welcome back. Sorry for-"

Lucy wasn't able to finish her sentence when I rushed to them and grabbed Natsu by his collar.

"You bastard! What is the meaning of this?" I yelled. I can't stop my rage right now. I don't care if he's beat up.

"Gray-nii, what are you doing? Stop it please, Natsu-nii is injured!" Lucy spoke in worry. She tried to remove my hand from Natsu's collar.

Ignoring Lucy's plea, I held Natsu's collar tighter. "You sure like to play dirty huh, Natsu? Maybe it's time we take this competition more seriously now, you think?" I growled at him.

Then he suddenly slapped my hands away, removing it from his collar, and he spoke in a deep voice. "I've been taking this competition seriously from the start."

I stood up straight. "Really? That's good to hear. Because I won't consider you my number one rival if you're just taking this lightly."

"I don't even consider you my number one rival." Natsu responded.

Right, I almost forgot that Jellal-nii is the closest to Lucy among the three of us. But I won't give up. Jellal-nii, Natsu, Sting, or whoever guy that tries to steal Lucy's heart, I'll do anything so that she'll choose me in the end.

"Wait, Gray-nii, Natsu-nii, what are you talking about? What competition? I don't understand." Lucy asked us in a confused tone.

"Nothing. Just a competition between men." I answered.

"It seems like a serious competition. But whatever it is, please don't hurt each other." Lucy pleaded.

"It's okay. Don't worry about us." I said and then I smiled at her. "Lucy, I'm tired. I need a hug and kiss from you." Well, since we've taken the competition to the next level, I'm also making my moves to the next level. I won't lose to that fire breather.

"Okay." Then Lucy stood up from the bed, hugged me then kissed me on the cheek. I know that Natsu made a huge progress since they slept on the same bed. I don't even know what happened before they slept.

Knowing that playboy twin of mine, he's a smooth talker and a very good liar; he can manipulate a girl in any way he likes. And knowing Lucy, she's oblivious; she trusts the three of us very much. Natsu can make a move on her without Lucy noticing Natsu's malicious intent. This wouldn't be hard if Lucy just knew the truth. She just has to choose between the three of us. But since Jellal-nii told us that it's not yet the right time, I guess I have to do my best to make her fall in love with me before the time comes. I have to think of a way for us to be closer than ever. Damn that Natsu, he just got lucky because of his fight with Sting. If he just didn't interfere when I was about to punch Sting, I would've been the one in his position right now. I would've been the one Lucy was taking care of.

I released from our hug, pulled her hand walking to the doorway where I dropped my school bag and took out the notebook.

"By the way Lucy, your friend wants to give this to you." I gave the notebook to her.

"Ah, the notes from Levy-chan! Thanks Gray-nii."

"You're welcome. Anything for you."

"Oh right! Levy-chan said that my bracelet is cute."

"Did you tell them I gave it to you?" I asked.

"Yes, she even told me we are like a couple. That Levy-chan, saying embarrassing things."

"Well, it's fine to me if they think of us that way." I smirked while looking at Natsu.

"Gray-nii! Not you too!" she screamed in embarrassment.

"Why? I don't have a girlfriend right now. We already broke up, did you forget?" I asked her teasingly. I can sense Natsu's jealousy across the room.

"Yeah, I know. But other people might get the wrong idea." She answered.

"So what? I don't care about what other people think. It's none of their business anyway. Don't you like me being mistaken as your boyfriend?"

"But everybody knows we are siblings. Gray-nii you're so mean, doing this to your little sister." She said, still embarrassed.

"Why don't we just become a real couple then?" I whispered to her, but enough for Natsu to hear. "You're the only one in your group that doesn't have a boyfriend right? Let's just make this an experience for you. Isn't it interesting?" I saw Lucy blushing a deep shade of red. I have a bit of confidence she'll consider what I said. All this time she's complaining to us that she at least have to experience having a boyfriend because all of her friends have one, and they keep on telling her that having a boyfriend is one of the best feelings a girl will have. This is my chance to make her fall in love with me.

"Hey! Don't forget that I'm here you jerk!" Natsu yelled, clearly irritated.

"Oh, sorry Natsu I almost forgot that you're here." I said, trying to add his irritation. "Lucy, is there something to eat? I'm starving."

"Yeah there's still food in the kitchen. I'll prepare some for you." Lucy answered.

"Great, I'll just change then I'll come downstairs." I said to her.

"Okay. . . Natsu-nii, how are you feeling now?" she asked Natsu.

"I'm much better now Lucy, thanks to you. Thanks for SLEEPING WITH ME" he replied. I felt a vein pop in my head. He intentionally emphasized the last three words. This bastard is obviously provoking me.

"Natsu-nii! Don't say it like that!" she yelled, embarrassed again.

"Why? But it's true right? WE SLEPT TOGETHER." Natsu emphasized the last three words again. Gray calm down, he is just testing your patience.

"Yes, but-"

I patted her shoulder. "Lucy, don't worry. I'm not getting the wrong idea. I know you did nothing like that." I said to her, and I smiled.

"Uhm . . . Okay. I'll be going now. Natsu-nii, continue to rest until you're okay to move again." she said then went out of the room.

.

.

.

I walked up to my closet to get clothes, and then Natsu suddenly spoke.

"I'm surprised you're still calm after hearing that Lucy slept with me."

"I'm not as hotheaded as you Natsu. And I know nothing really happened." I replied calmly.

"Oh? How can you be sure that nothing happened? You're not even here the whole time. You don't know how Lucy treated my injuries, and what we did after she treated my injuries." Natsu said while having a nasty smile on his face. I'm really starting to lose my patience. I walked up to Natsu after I have changed and grabbed his collar again.

"So you're admitting that you're really playing dirty you bastard?" I asked.

He just smirked. "I'm just doing it the way I wanted. And Gray, don't play innocent, I know you're planning to use underhanded tricks too. Don't talk as if I'm the only one playing dirty here."

I glared angrily at him, and then quickly released his collar.

"Then let's see whose underhanded tricks are more effective." I said as I walked out of the room.

.

.

.

He's really getting on my nerves. He thinks highly of himself just because he had more girls than me. Tch! He had more girls because I'm not a playboy. If I had been a womanizing creep like him, my girlfriends would be triple of how many he had so far! No, ten times of how many he had in his life!

If I could just grab Lucy, get married with her right now and run away in a place where no one knows us, there would be no problem.

"Oh, Gray-nii I've already prepared the food for you." Lucy greeted me as I arrived at the kitchen.

"Thanks Lucy. You'll really make a good wife." I said to her with a smile as I sat down.

"What's with you and Natsu-nii today? You're saying the same thing."

Huh, so Natsu said the same thing to her today? He really did make moves on her just like what I predicted.

"We're twins after all, we share the same thoughts." I said and started munching on the food Lucy prepared for me.

Lucy sat beside me, silently watching me while I eat.

"What's the matter? Is something bothering you?" I asked her.

"Uhm . . . I want to say sorry for rushing home so suddenly without telling you. I hope you're not mad at me anymore." She said with a sad face.

I looked at her and caressed her cheek. "What are you saying? I didn't even get mad at you in the first place. But if you hug me a hundred times and kiss me a thousand times today, I'll pretend it never happened." I said jokingly.

Then she stood up and hugged me from behind, her arms around my neck. "Okay, I'll do 500 on each side. So which side of the cheeks do you want me to kiss first Gray-nii?" she asked softly in my ear. It tickled so much that it sent a shiver to my spine. I turned my head to face her, and whispered in a deep voice, "It's up to you Lucy. I don't care where you kiss me, as long as it is you."

"Okay. If you say so Gray-nii." Then she kissed me softly on the ear.

I was surprised. My God, the way she kissed me on the ear sent an unexpected reaction to my body. I'm not a big pervert like Natsu, but Lucy had me aroused successfully in no time with that simple kiss without her knowledge. I never knew she could do this. Damn, my body feels hot now. I need to keep those thoughts out of my mind or I wouldn't be able to stop myself from doing inappropriate things to her.

I gently removed her arms around my neck. Stood up and hugged her again. "Forget about the kiss already, just a hug is enough."

"Why Gray-nii? Are my kisses horrible?" she asked. You're damn wrong Lucy; it's the total opposite of what you're thinking. Your kisses will give me insomnia every night.

"Of course not. I just don't want to make you feel uncomfortable." I said to her.

Then I felt Lucy tighten her grip on me. "You're so kind Gray-nii." She whispered. That simple sentence made my heart leap in happiness.

"What's with that all of a sudden?" I said, trying to lighten the mood a bit.

She pulled back a bit, and then looked at me, still her arms around my back. "Well, you're not as strict as Jellal-nii. And you're not short -tempered like Natsu-nii. I can always let down my guard when I'm with you. I think you're the one who understands me the most." She said with sincerity in her eyes.

"Of course, you're my only sister. I don't want you to be scared of me. You're a girl that deserves to be respected." I responded while smiling at her.

She then started to smile, showing her pearly whites. "Is that why you also respect my mood swings whenever I have PMS?"

I suddenly feel embarrassed. "Well, yeah. Every girl goes through that cycle, right?"

She giggled. I think she enjoyed seeing my embarrassed expression. She then leaned and whispered something to my ear.

"Gray-nii, do you still remember the day I first had my period?" I felt my cheeks burn. What's with that question? Of course I won't forget that very important day.

**~Flash back~ 2 years ago (still Gray's POV)**

(_Lucy: 14 years old_

_Gray &amp; Natsu: 15 years old_

_Jellal: 16 years old_)

_I was watching TV one Saturday afternoon. Jellal-nii was at his part-time job, and Natsu went out, I think he had a date. So it was only me and Lucy at home. She was inside the bathroom to take a shower._

_I suddenly heard a scream and without a second thought, I rushed inside the bathroom to see what happened. _

_I saw Lucy at the shower, in her birthday suit. I was so shocked to see her wearing nothing that I stood there unable to move._

"_KYAAAAAHHH! DON'T LOOK!" Lucy screamed, threw the plastic soap dish at my face and she quickly closed the shower curtain to hide her body._

"_Oooww! Lucy-chan it really hurts! I just went because you screamed. What happened to you anyway?" I asked, rubbing my forehead that was hit by the soap dish._

_She then peeked from the shower curtain, and started to cry._

"_Gray-nii, I think I'm going to die!" she sobbed._

"_Huh? I don't get it. Do you have a fever? Are you feeling sick or something?" I asked in confusion._

"_No! There's blood! There's blood coming out of me! Gray-nii I don't want to die!" she continued to cry._

"_Okay, calm down first. We can't solve this if you're panicking. Did you slip and hit your head? Did your scalp start to bleed?" I asked her calmly._

"_No, it's not my head that's bleeding Gray-nii." She answered calmly but tears still flowing from her eyes._

"_Okay, where does it bleed?" I continued to ask._

"_Uh . . . My . . . Uhm . . . You know . . . Down there . . ." she answered shyly. "I tried to wash the blood away but it keeps bleeding!"_

_Down there? I start to think hard what she's talking about. Then suddenly I smiled._

_._

_._

_._

"_Lucy-chan, I think you're finally having your period. It was taught to us in school; don't tell me you don't know anything about it?"_

"_What? Uh . . . Well, I don't usually pay attention during class so I think I missed it. And you know I hate Science." She answered._

_I chuckled. "Alright. At least now we know that you're not going to die. Okay I'll be going back now. Don't stay too long in the shower." _

"_Wait Gray-nii!" she called to me._

"_What is it Lucy-chan?"_

"_Help me. I don't know what to do. I mean, I can't walk around the house like this. And my underwear will get dirty. Is there any way to stop this?" she said, very clueless._

"_Lucy-chan, I can't believe you don't know a thing about this. You know, you're a girl. You should be prepared that this will happen to you anytime. This is an important stage for a girl during her puberty." Damn, I feel like a mother lecturing her daughter. I'm a male; I should be the one clueless here._

"_Gray-nii, please . . ." she said, pleading to me. Of course I can't refuse her._

"_Okay fine, you're too cute to be refused. I'll just go to the convenience store for a bit, so dry your hair with a towel, and just stay there okay?" then she nodded to me while smiling. I guess I can take the embarrassment if I can see her smile to me like that._

_I went to the convenience store to buy pads; actually I'm not very sure which to buy because there's a lot to choose from. So I even discreetly asked the female staff there. Thankfully she didn't give me weird looks and just helped me choose._

_I went back home and rushed to the bathroom. I unconsciously opened the shower curtain forgetting that Lucy was naked. For the second time, I saw her again in her birthday suit._

"_KYAAAHHH! Gray-nii, don't just go rushing inside so suddenly! I'm still not wearing anything!" and she closed the curtain again._

"_Sorry! I . . . Uh . . . Here, I bought pads. I guess at least you know how to use this?" I said while blushing._

_._

_._

_._

"_I don't know . . ." was her short reply._

* * *

_**A/N: Wow, I didn't expect that the GrayLu shower scene would be this long. But, I think it's okay. The flash back will also tell the reason behind why Gray monitors Lucy's monthly period. Heehee. Isn't Gray a gentleman and very considerate? Just imagine his embarrassment! Lucy is so fortunate that her brother knows about those kinds of things, because if not, she's doomed! Haha! And he's really like a mother scolding her daughter. Poor Lucy!**_

_**I'm not sure whose shower scene I'm going to write next, JeLu or NaLu, but it will be written on a much later chapter! What I'm sure of is a JeLu moment will be very soon to come! So JeLu shippers, be prepared for a fluff! ;)Heehee, I really enjoy writing this story ;)And yeah, the new character will be entering soon! Just stay tuned, heehee.**_

_**By the way, about one of the three new story plots that popped into my mind, since my first fanfic is about sister complex, I was thinking that my second will be a brother complex! Yeah! Lucy will have a huge brother complex with her step brother, (but I still haven't chosen the male leads)her brother ignores her advances, then a guy will suddenly appear in Lucy's life and she will fall in love with the new guy, then her brother will get jealous and try to get back Lucy. Heehee, another competition! Well, I will ask you, if you think it's okay? Because if you think it's a good plot, then I will surely create that story, so readers, please give me an honest opinion if I should go for it or just give it up ;)**_

_**By the way, please leave a review of your thoughts about this chapter! ;) Thanks a lot!**_


	8. Chapter 8

**_WARNING (again): This has the continuation of last chapter's flashback. So if you're sensitive, better not read it. ;)_**

* * *

**My Annoying Brothers**

_"__I don't know . . ." was her short reply._

_I facepalmed. Just how clueless is she? This is really getting more embarrassing for me. I don't even know if I got the correct idea on how to use it. I'm a guy for crying out loud!_

"_Uh . . . Lucy-chan, I don't think I can explain it to you. Do you have a phone number of your friend that knows how? Let's just call her and let her explain it to you." I said._

"_Gray-nii, I don't even have a mobile phone. How will I get their numbers?" she replied._

_I have one idea in my mind, but I'm not sure it'll work. I'm thinking of calling Jellal-nii to his part-time job and ask him, I'm sure that he knows it._

"_Lucy-chan, do you know the phone number to Jellal-nii's part-time job? I'll call him." _

"_I'm sorry Gray-nii but I don't know. Didn't he tell us that his job forbids for him to take phone calls?" _

_._

_._

_._

_Okay, last resort. INTERNET! I can't be choosy now. I just hope that Natsu won't suddenly burst out of nowhere and see what I'm doing, imagine the humiliation it will bring to my male pride if he sees me._

_(After 30 embarrassing minutes)_

_Finally, we managed to do it, I mean, Lucy finally managed to do it. She finally stepped out of the shower, fully dressed, but still uncomfortable._

_._

_._

_._

_I was watching TV at our room. I let Lucy join me because she was totally feeling uneasy; I thought that watching TV might help her relax._

_But I was the one who can't relax because she keeps fidgeting beside me._

"_Lucy-chan, just relax. You don't have to be so restless about it." I said to her._

"_But Gray-nii, I can totally feel it. I want to go to the bathroom every now and then because it really feels . . . uh . . . I don't know how to say it."_

"_You must get used to it because from now on, you'll experience that every month." Here I am again in Mother- lecturing-her-daughter mode._

"_Gray-nii, do you know some way to stop this? Even just temporarily." she whispered to my ear._

_I stared at her in disbelief. I think I should really keep her from getting physical with other guys. She's way TOO innocent._

"_I don't think that's a good idea. The only way to stop that temporarily is to get pregnant."_

_She fell silent. I think she got what I mean. _

"_Lucy-chan, I'm telling you this seriously, avoid any physical contact with boys in your class, or any boy in school, even it is just holding hands or a slight pat. Never, ever let them touch you in any way." I know that I'm exaggerating, but it's better to be safe than sorry. And once Jellal-nii comes to know this, for sure he'll be stricter than me._

"_Okay. Don't worry Gray-nii. By the way, I want to ask another thing."_

"_Sure, what is it?"_

"_You told me that it will come every month right? What if in some case, it didn't come?" she asked curiously._

"_Well, I think it can have many reasons but, as you already know, being pregnant is one. Another one I can think of is that you're not eating properly and not getting enough exercise. I'm not very sure. But, don't worry about that. I'll help you in that matter." I said to her. I saw her felt relieved._

"_By the way Lucy-chan, don't you think we must celebrate this day?" I added._

"_Why?" Lucy asked._

"_Because you're now a young woman. I bet Jellal-nii and Natsu will be overjoyed."_

"_Isn't it a bit embarrassing Gray-nii?" she asked shyly._

"_What are you talking about Lucy-chan? It's worth celebrating. Let's tell them when they get home."_

"_But . . ."_

_._

_._

_._

_Few hours later Natsu already got home, and then shortly after, Jellal-nii finally arrived. I gently pushed Lucy's shoulder to come forward and I winked at her, telling that she can do it. _

"_Uhm . . . Jellal-nii, Natsu-nii, there's something I want to tell you. . ." she said shyly._

_Jellal-nii patted her head. "What is it Lucy-chan? Do you need something?"_

"_No . . . Uhm . . . Actually, this afternoon, I . . . Uh . . . I got . . . Uhm . . ." Lucy seems unable to find the right words to say._

_Natsu then asked her. "You look nervous. Did something happen this afternoon?"_

_Natsu and Jellal-nii waited in silence for her answer. Lucy felt more nervous from the pressure so she glanced at me and said in a pleading voice, "Gray-nii, help me!"_

_Well, I guess I have no choice. It would be better if it came from Lucy but she can't voice it out. I walked up to them and wrapped my arms around her shoulder._

"_Lucy already got her period this afternoon."_

_Jellal-nii smiled in pure happiness and hugged her. "Congratulations Lucy-chan! You're a lady now; you're not a little girl anymore. I'm proud of you, my princess."_

_Lucy blushed and smiled then said in shy voice, "Thank you Jellal-nii"_

_Natsu hugged her next. "Wow, Lucy-chan, I'm sure you'll be a very beautiful lady! But it will worry me because a lot more guys will approach you now."_

"_That's right." Jellal-nii agreed. "I think we should watch Lucy-chan more frequently from now on. Natsu and Gray, both of you should fetch her every day from her classroom when it's time to go home. Make sure no guy will come close to her." We both nodded. We can't object to him anyway._

"_Is it okay? Won't it bother you?" Lucy asked us._

"_Don't worry about us Lucy-chan, we'll be happy to protect you from bad guys. I'll check up on you every time, I'll even join you every lunch break." Natsu said. I think Natsu is overdoing it, but if Jellal-nii approves that, I can't go against it anymore._

"_That's right. So everyone, I think we should celebrate the new stage Lucy-chan will be entering." Jellal-nii said._

"_You don't have to do it Jellal-nii!" Lucy suddenly protested._

"_Why? You don't have to be shy. Let's eat out today, then watch a movie, all four of us. It's still early anyway, we can take our time." Jellal-nii insisted._

**~End Flash back~**

Yeah, that's what happened that day. That's also the day Jellal-nii became so strict about Lucy.

"That's a day I will never forget. It was your special day, so it was special for me too." I said to Lucy and pinched her cheek.

"Thank you Gray-nii, you're really kind. Uhm, by the way I want to ask you something."

"What is it?"

"Without thinking about Jellal-nii and Natsu-nii's opinions, will you let me have a boyfriend?" she asked.

I don't want to hurt her feelings. I am always kind to her, but when it comes to her having a boyfriend, it's different. I want to be as selfish as I can be.

"Lucy, about that, you know it's not like I don't want you to have one . . . But getting into a relationship is a serious matter, except if you are like Natsu that's always playing around. It is not always a happy thing, because if your relationship failed, you'll get hurt. Jellal-nii said that years ago, right? You really can't tell just by appearance that a guy can be trusted. Even if he really loved you, you still can't be sure if you'll last forever, love is not everything in a relationship." I explained.

"Gray-nii, I know that you're all concerned about me and my feelings. But I just want to experience it. If I get hurt, I'll accept it. If it really gets painful, I'll stop." She said with sadness in her eyes.

"Don't think about it too much, you're still young. It will happen if it's meant to happen. And you know that I'm here. I can love you more than a boyfriend can. And I'll never hurt you in any way." I said to her.

"It's so unfortunate that you're my brother." She whispered to me. I don't know if I heard it right. So if I'm not her brother, she'll want me as a boyfriend? Is she falling in love with me now? Damn, I want to ask her but my tongue might slip and I might accidentally tell the truth to her.

I smiled at her. "Do you recall what I told you upstairs? That we'll try to be a couple. If you like it, we'll do it. But, of course without the knowledge of Natsu and Jellal-nii. We'll just give it a try. Okay? But I'm not pressuring you. If you're not comfortable about it, it's okay with me. And if you agree, I won't do anything that you don't like; we'll just go on dates, watch a movie, go to an amusement park, and just do fun things. I won't kiss you if you don't like it, but you can at least let me hold your hand." I explained.

"But Gray-nii, that's awkward. Siblings having a secret relationship feels a bit . . . different."

"Yes I agree with you on that. Forbidden love, isn't it? But, you won't know how strong a relationship is if it doesn't have an obstacle. It will be a good experience for you. I'm not rushing you to agree now. You can think about it first, and then come to me if you have already decided, okay?" Well, it won't hurt if I expect even for a bit, right? I'll just say it will have at least 10% chance she will agree.

.

.

.

That day ended with me and Natsu not talking to each other.

**~Next Morning~ (Tuesday)**

**Lucy POV**

This morning, everything feels awkward. Gray-nii and Natsu-nii are not talking to each other. Thankfully, Natsu-nii is healed now, although not completely yet. I really don't get it, what competition are they talking about yesterday? Is it really that serious? Meanwhile, Jellal-nii doesn't seem to be bothered by it, it's like he has his own serious problems too. I want to break the silence but I'm too scared. After I ate my breakfast, I stood up and went to grab my school bag.

"Uhm, Jellal-nii, Gray-nii, Natsu-nii, I'll be going first." I said to them.

"Wait, Lucy, we'll come with you." Jellal-nii responded calmly. "Gray, Natsu, let's go." He continued.

.

.

.

We walked to school silently. The three of them also walked me to my classroom before they go. I really don't know what's happening to them.

**~Lunch Break~**

As usual, we went to the school cafeteria to eat lunch. Although I feel there's something strange about the atmosphere.

.

.

.

While we were eating, Erza spoke.

"Didn't all of you notice? Natsu-senpai is at the table on our left, Gray-senpai is at our right, Sting in front of us. What's with them? They're like stalkers." So that's the strange atmosphere I noticed a while ago.

Then all my friends looked at me as if looking for answers.

"Hey guys, don't look at me like that, I don't have the slightest idea. Okay?" I said to them.

"Okay let's just ignore them." Mira suddenly interrupted. "By the way, I have something very exciting to tell you!" she said excitedly. We all got curious to what is it so we all focused our attention to her.

"Since my birthday is coming up, my aunt who owns an island resort gave me VIP passes just enough for us!"

"Wow! I like that Mira!" Cana screamed. "Can I bring my boyfriend?"

"Actually, I already included that in my plan." Mira replied. "My aunt already agreed! All seven of us, plus our boyfriends. That makes thirteen." She explained excitedly.

"Mira, you don't have to include me." I butted. "I bet my brothers won't let me go. And seeing you all lovey-dovey in front of me will just make me out of place."

"No! My birthday will be incomplete without you!" Mira whined to me.

"Then why don't you just let one of your brothers come with you?" Levy suggested.

It can be a good idea, but who will I bring? Natsu-nii? Gray-nii? Or Jellal-nii?

"I'm not sure about that. When is it by the way?" I asked Mira.

"This Saturday, we'll travel early in the morning so we can have fun ASAP then go back on Sunday afternoon."

Saturday? Hmm, Natsu-nii will have a date that day. Jellal-nii has a part-time job. I guess that leaves Gray-nii to accompany me.

"Okay. Gray-nii can go with me. But it depends if they allowed me to go. So I'm still not sure. I have to ask permission from them first."

"I'm sure they'll allow you, one of them will go with you anyway. I'm very sure of it." Erza assured me.

I really hope you're right Erza. It really sounds fun, going to an island resort, it's been one of my simple dreams. The only thing I worry about is how to say it. Because it seems like they've been carrying big problems since this morning.

"So don't forget to bring swimsuits okay?" Lisanna reminded.

"Wha . . . What?! Swimsuits?" I asked in shock.

"Of course! We're going to swim at the beach. Bringing swimsuits is a must." Juvia responded.

Crap. I don't have swimsuits. Besides, I haven't worn one before. And I'm not confident to wear something like those, because it reveals a lot of skin. Now I think my chance of being allowed to go is going down the drain. Jellal-nii is the one most likely to oppose the idea of allowing me to go with my friends. I think I want to cry now.

"I don't have one. And I don't think my brothers will allow me." I said sadly.

"So what if they don't allow you? It won't hurt if you rebel once in a while. I'll lend you some, don't worry. Let's bribe Gray-senpai so that he won't tell a word to your other brothers." Mira winked at me.

"And it's not as if the other two will follow us all the way there just to make sure that you're not wearing one." Levy-chan seconded.

"Okay." I said to them smiling. "My life is in your hands."

**~After Lunch Break~**

We returned to our classroom. Then we noticed that the Headmaster of Fairy Academy, Master Macarov was there. Maybe he will announce something important to us.

We sat quietly on our chairs and waited for his announcement.

"Good afternoon students!" Master Macarov greeted the whole class with a smile.

"Good afternoon Master!" we greeted back.

"Okay, I'm here today to announce that Gildarts-sensei won't be arriving for your History class today. He took a 1-month leave because he's getting married next week."

"Master what about our History class then?" one student asked.

"Don't worry, we already have a substitute teacher for that, but he would be arriving tomorrow. So for today, you'll have a free study period. Your History class will be continued tomorrow. Okay, that will be all, I'll be going now." Then Master went outside.

Okay, since it's our free study period now, I'll be going to the washroom. I need to freshen up a bit since it's so hot.

I went to the washroom, turned the faucet and splashed the cool water to my face. I'm sweating so easily these days, is it the weather? I stared at my reflection on the mirror. Or maybe because of my brothers? They're really acting strange; I really want to know what's going on with them. But even if I ask them, they won't tell me.

Some other things are also bothering me; it's about what happened between me, Gray-nii and Natsu-nii yesterday. One thing is the kiss between me and Natsu-nii, I keep on telling myself that I only kissed him because I love him as a brother, but why is my heart beating so fast that time? It is just because I'm nervous? And the thing about what Gray-nii said, that I will become his girlfriend, I know I shouldn't accept it, but I don't know why I also can't refuse. There's something about Gray-nii that makes me unable to say no. Aaarrgghh! I don't understand my feelings!

I wiped my face with the face towel I have and composed myself. I'll figure out my feelings someday!

I exited the washroom and before I knew it, somebody quickly pulled my hand and brought me somewhere. When I saw who it was, my chest started to pound. It was Sting. He brought me to the rooftop; it was just the two of us there.

"Sting-kun, why did you bring me here?" I asked him in confusion.

He suddenly held my cheeks with both hands, drew his face close to mine, and whispered, "Lucy, please be mine." I was surprised with what he did and what he said. What will I do? I just can't say yes to him so easily.

"Wait, Sting-kun, you're being too fast. You know that my brothers are not allowing me to have a boyfriend."

"Let's elope." He simply said.

"W-what?!"


	9. Chapter 9

**_WARNING: Steamy scene AHEAD! (*evil grin*)_**

* * *

**My Annoying Brothers**

"W-what?!"

"I said let's elope. I can't stand not being near you."

"Sting-kun, you don't know what you're saying."

Then Sting suddenly hugged me, and whispered to my ear.

"I know what I'm saying. You want me right?"

"Uhm . . . Y-yeah, but it doesn't mean I'm going to elope with you."

"Are your brothers more important than me?" he asked in an irritated voice.

"Sting-kun, don't make me answer that, because you won't like it." I replied to him.

"So you're saying they're more important."

I looked at him apologetically. "I'm really sorry," was all I could say.

To my surprise, he quickly pinned me on a wall, restraining me.

"Sting! What are you doing?" I said in panic.

"If I can't convince you the easy way, I guess I'll have to do it the hard way." Then he suddenly licked the side of my neck, and sucked on it hard, leaving a clear, purple mark. He snaked his hand under my skirt, then gently caressed my thighs.

"Sting! Stop it! This is not funny!" I screamed to him. But he covered my mouth with his hand.

"Ssshh . . . Somebody might hear you, I don't want anyone interrupting our 'alone time'." He said.

I feel so scared that tears started to flow from my eyes. I need to get away from him, now.

"Sting, please . . . I just got surprised because you're taking this too fast. I know you're not a bad person. We can talk about it in a nice way. Please, stop it, you're frightening me." I pleaded in a shaking voice.

Sting stopped, wiped my tears and looked at me worriedly. "Lucy, I don't want to do it too, but I want you to be mine. So, you're eloping with me?"

For now, it is most important that I escape from him.

"I have to think first about it, my brothers are always watching me. So it is not that easy."

"Okay. I'll give you time to think. You have a month. Just tell me when you are ready. I'll be waiting for you." He smiled to me and pecked my lips like nothing happened. I just nodded to him.

"Let's go back, our free study period is almost over." He said then he held my hand while we exited the rooftop.

There's a mixture of feelings inside me, relief, worry, fear, shock, and others that I can't explain. I don't know what to do. Should I tell my brothers about it? But it will surely cause trouble. I never thought Sting could do it, I never thought of him as that kind of person.

I know one person I can talk to. It's Gray-nii, I know he will keep quiet about it if I tell him about Sting. I'll just sneak to his bed tonight and secretly talk with him.

Thankfully, my hair is long and I'm able to hide the hickey Sting gave me. I even borrowed a perfume from Erza to hide Sting's smell because I very well know how strong Natsu-nii's sense of smell is. It seems that my brothers didn't notice anything, so I felt relieved.

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.

.

After dinner, when it's time to go to sleep, I made it sure that all my brothers are already in a deep sleep before I go to the twins' room and wake up Gray-nii.

I tiptoed, opened the door to their room, careful not to make a sound, and crawled to Gray-nii's bed. I went under the covers and I saw him sleeping on his side, his back facing me. I crawled nearer then pinched his arm softly. "Gray-nii, wake up" I whispered to his ear.

He moved a bit, and then stopped. I think he's really sleeping now. I whispered again to his ear and pinched his arm again with a bit more force. "Gray-nii, wake up. It's me, Lucy. I want to talk to you."

Then he turned to his side, now facing me. But I can't clearly see his face. He held my hand, confirming if I was really there.

"Lucy?" he asked.

I noticed it wasn't Gray-nii's voice. It was Jellal-nii's! Crap, why is Jellal-nii sleeping on Gray-nii's bed? Did they switch beds?

"Jellal-nii?!" I asked in disbelief. But my voice still down.

"What are you doing here Lucy?" asked Jellal-nii in an almost inaudible voice.

"Uh . . . I just want to ask something to Gray-nii . . . but never mind it. I'll just ask him tomorrow. I'm sorry for waking you up Jellal-nii, I'll go back to my room now." So I started to crawl away but Jellal-nii grabbed my hand, stopping me.

"What is it? You can tell it to me. Let's talk to your room. Natsu might wake up if we talk here." Of course I have no choice but to say yes. We quietly went outside and closed the twins' door, and then we went inside my room.

I sat on the bed and Jellal-nii sat beside me. "What do you want to ask Gray?" He questioned me right off the bat.

I can't possibly tell him about Sting. But I got an idea.

"Uhm . . . I just want to ask Gray-nii if it's okay for him to come with me this coming Saturday at Mira's birthday. She invited our group to go to her aunt's island resort, because she'll be celebrating there."

"Why did you choose Gray to come with you?" he asked again with a hint of jealousy.

"Well . . . it's not like I have a choice. You have a part-time job. Natsu-nii will be having a date. Gray-nii is the only one who's free that day." I answered.

"I will go with you. You don't have to ask Gray." He said straight out.

"W-wait, but how about your part-time job?" I asked worriedly.

"Then I'll take a leave. How many days is it?" he just said casually.

"Mira said we'll be leaving early morning on Saturday, then go back on Sunday afternoon. Jellal-nii, is it really okay for you to go with me?" I asked him hesitantly.

"Of course. How many of you will come there?"

"Seven girls, including me, plus their boyfriends, then you. So we're fourteen."

"Okay, the more reason I should come. Their boyfriends might try to flirt with you."

"Jellal-nii, don't say that!"

"Why? It's a possibility, you know. Better to prevent it as early as possible before something happens. I don't want any guy getting near you. I don't even want them to stare at you."

I suddenly fell silent. For some reason, Sting suddenly came to my mind. The memories of him staring at me all the time, and what he did to me at the rooftop just a few hours ago suddenly came rushing back to me. The fear I felt that time also came back.

I felt Jellal-nii's hand hold mine. I unconsciously slapped it away.

He was surprised with what I did and stared at me.

"Lucy, did something happen?" he asked.

Oh no. I have to make horrible lies again.

"No! Nothing happened! I'm fine Jellal-nii." I answered nervously, although I know Jellal-nii will see through my lie.

He continued to stare at me, and then he lightly touched the side of my neck. Crap, I totally forgot about the hickey! But the light from my bedside lamp is so dim that I'm sure it will be hard to notice, and that's not all, our backs are facing the lamp! Why is it that my brothers' senses get so sharp when it comes to me?

"What's this Lucy?" Jellal-nii asked in a very serious tone.

"Uh . . . Nothing! Just a mosquito bite!" I blurted out.

"Are you sure that it's a mosquito?" he asked again.

I just nodded at him. But of course, he doesn't believe me.

Jellal-nii stared at me hard. "Did Sting do this to you? Tell me the truth Lucy." I don't know why but I'm too scared to answer. Jellal-nii's gaze also starts to frighten me.

Noticing my fear, his expression softened; he gently embraced me while smoothly running his hands through my hair.

"Don't be afraid of me Lucy, I won't scold you or shout at you. Just tell me the truth." He whispered in a kind voice.

Maybe it's because of that kind voice, or that gentle embrace, but something made my tears fall uncontrollably without me noticing. I hugged him tight.

"Jellal-nii, I'm scared . . . He tried to do uncomfortable things to me. . . And he might do it again . . ." I just said to him while I cry.

"What do you want me to do to him?" he asked.

"No, I don't want you to do anything to him. I don't want any trouble. But, please stay beside me always."

He gently released our hug, wiped my tears then drew his face closer to mine until our foreheads touch. "Lucy, do you remember what I told you the last time you massaged me? I told you to stay beside me forever, right? I don't want you to marry anyone, and I won't marry anyone either. We can just be together forever."

"Are you really going to do it Jellal-nii?" I asked while still sobbing.

"I promise. You're the most important person to me. So I'll do anything just to be with you." He answered with honesty.

"But what if one day, you met a girl and you fell in love with her? Will you marry her and leave me?"

"That's impossible Lucy. Don't you trust me?" he asked.

"I trust you, but . . . It might happen."

"What do you want me to do to prove that it will never happen? Okay, how about we get married instead? I'll marry you, you'll marry me." he said. I don't know if he's serious or just lightening my mood.

"Jellal-nii, there you are again. That can't happen you know." I said, starting to smile.

"Then I'll make it happen." He spoke in a serious tone. "If that's the only way for us to be together, I'll make it possible."

"Just being with you is enough, Jellal-nii." I said then hugged him again.

There was a short silence, and then Jellal-nii suddenly spoke.

"Lucy, what will you do if I tell you now that I'm in love with you?" he whispered to my ear.

I felt like my heart suddenly leaped out of my chest.

"Jellal-nii, stop making fun of me already. I might believe you, you know?" I said while forcing a chuckle.

"I'm serious, Lucy." He said as he looked at me straight in the eyes. His eyes tell me that what he just said was the truth. My heart starts to beat crazily and my cheeks feel so hot.

"Uhm . . . W-what are you saying Jellal-nii? H-how can you be in love with your sister?" I said, looking away. I can't look straight in his eyes, I feel like I'm going to melt anytime.

"Well, it doesn't matter anyway. Whether I'm in love with you or not, I want to be beside you forever. I'll protect you, take care of you, and make you happy. Don't forget that okay? That's a promise." He said and kissed me on the forehead.

"I know that Jellal-nii. By the way I want to ask you something."

"Sure."

"Why are you sleeping on Gray-nii's bed?" that's one thing I've been dying to know.

He laughed softly. "Gray asked me a while ago if we could switch beds. He told me he doesn't want to share a room with Natsu because they had a fight." He answered.

"So their competition isn't over" I murmured.

Jellal-nii suddenly held my hand tightly.

"By the way Lucy, you want me to sleep beside you tonight?" he asked me out of the blue.

"H-huh?! Uhm . . . Well . . . I want to . . . But . . ." that question caught me by surprise so I don't know what to say.

"No buts, I'm asking you if you want."

"If it's okay with you . . ." I said.

"Lucy, you didn't answer my question. Yes or no?"

"Yes . . ." I answered shyly.

"You could've said yes from the start. It's been long since we last slept together. I missed it, you know?" He said while grinning.

"Uh . . . It feels awkward when you say it that way, Jellal-nii."

"Lucy, don't get all embarrassed now, you used to sneak into my bedroom every night because you said that your bed is too big for you and some ghost might appear beside you. Right?" he teased me.

"Jellal-nii! You're making me remember that again! And until now I'm still afraid of ghosts . . . What if I can't sleep again on my bed?" I cried to him.

"Then you can come to my room and sleep beside me like how you used to, you're always welcome anyway."

"You're treating me like a little girl again . . ." I said, pouting.

"It's because you are so cute!" he said and pinched the tip of my nose.

"Hey! That's unfair you teasing brother!" and I also tried to pinch his nose. But he caught my hand and I lost my balance so I fell on my back with Jellal-nii above me. He suddenly became serious again and gazed at me.

"Lucy, do you want me to erase that mark Sting gave you?"

I gulped. I don't know if it's just me or there's some deep meaning with what he said. My heart started to race again.

"Uhm . . . Do you know some way to erase it?" I asked him casually, trying to avoid the serious mood.

"I know a way, but it depends if you'll let me." He replied.

"It's fine. I completely trust you Jellal-nii . . ." I said, still my heart beating fast. I don't know what he's going to do but I prepare myself for whatever it is.

He slowly buried his face to the crook of my neck; I felt his hot breath and something about it just made my heart beat faster than ever. He kissed the exact place where Sting left the hickey then sucked it, just like what Sting did, but this time, harder.

"Mmmm . . . Jellal-nii . . ." I unconsciously let out a moan. What's happening to me? My stomach feels weird right now.

"Lucy . . ." I heard him whisper. Then he murmurs some words that I can't clearly understand. He continued to give kisses all over my neck which tickled me. I softly ran my fingers through his hair. It's like my hand automatically moved on its own.

He finally lifted his head, and then stared at me.

"I removed Sting's mark, but I replaced it with my own. Is it okay?" he whispered.

"Uhm . . . As long as it is gone, it's fine with me." I said.

He smiled. "Okay, then let's go to sleep now, my princess." And he lied down close to me, but not close enough for our shoulders to touch. We just held hands, with fingers intertwined.

.

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**~Next Day~ (Wednesday)**

When I woke up this morning and looked at the mirror, I noticed that the hickey Jellal-nii gave me was much bigger than Sting's. But at least, whenever I see it, it won't remind me of Sting anymore. I decided to hide it again using my long hair, since I don't have any makeup (Jellal-nii forbids me to wear makeup because he told me it will make my skin bad, but he allows me to use a face powder).

During lunch break, I told my friends that Jellal-nii already allowed to me go with them; of course, along with him. They're even surprised that he gave me his permission so easily, but it's still good news, right? And then suddenly Mira gave us this gossip that our substitute History teacher is young and handsome, that he actually looks like a prince. Well, I doubt that. Sometimes, Mira exaggerates everything that the truth always turns out different than what she made us expect.

After the lunch break, Mira made us return to our classroom quickly because of her excitement to see the 'young and handsome' substitute teacher.

"Mira, you're too excited. Don't expect too much or it might disappoint you." Erza said.

"What are you saying Erza? I heard a lot of students gossiping about him!" Mira squealed.

"Mira-san you already have a boyfriend." Juvia reminded her.

"I know, I know! I'm just curious okay? Lucy, aren't you curious about him?" Mira turned her attention to me.

"Not in the slightest." I flat-out replied.

"Don't worry Mira, I'm kind of interested to see him too." Cana said.

"I don't care about the looks, I wonder if he can teach us properly like the way Gildarts-sensei do." Levy-chan butted.

"As for me, I wonder if he has a sense of humor." Lisanna added.

As for me too, I wonder if how high my friends' level of craziness can get. Getting so worked up just because of a substitute teacher, he won't even last for more than a month here in the Academy.

Suddenly, someone entered the classroom. He gently dropped the books he's holding on the teacher's table at the front of the classroom.

"Good afternoon. I suppose this is the First Year, Class B?" he asked calmly with a smile.

Only a few students nodded to him, maybe because most of us are shocked.

For the first time, Mira got her gossips right. He really looks like a prince.

* * *

_**Update: A/N and review responses deleted ;)**_


	10. Chapter 10

**My Annoying Brothers**

For the first time, Mira got her gossips right. He really looks like a prince.

"What's with those expressions, students? I didn't expect you'll get surprised like that." He continued.

"You look like a prince, Sensei!" one girl screamed.

He chuckled. "Really? Thank you for that. By the way, I'll be your substitute History teacher until Gildarts-sensei comes back. I'm Rufus Lore, but you can just call me Rufus-sensei. Let's get along well during my stay here at the Academy, okay? So, before we begin the class, do any of you want to know something about me? You're free to ask, but only for today." He said, still with his mysterious smile.

"How old are you Sensei?" One student asked.

"I want to keep it a secret, but if you're dying to know, I'm already 23."

"Do you have a girlfriend?" Another student asked. I didn't know that my classmates can really get shameless when it comes to good-looking teachers.

"Oh, isn't that a bit personal? But, my answer is no, I'm currently single." Then I heard shouts of joy from my girl classmates. I can't believe them!

"Sensei, what qualities are you looking for in a girlfriend?" another shameless classmate of mine asked.

"To tell you the truth, I already found my ideal girl a long time ago. And she already had all the qualities I'm looking for." Now, I heard sighs of disappointment.

"Have you confessed to her Sensei?" my classmate asked again.

"Not yet, but I'm planning to, since I finally found her again." Then he quickly glanced at me. I don't know if it's just my imagination.

"Right, I almost forgot to tell, your classmate, Sting Eucliffe, is my half-brother. We have the same mother, but different fathers." Then he looked at the direction where Sting was seated, which is beside me, but Sting looked like he was irritated with Rufus-sensei.

"You don't have to tell that to the world. It's better that no one knows we're related." Sting simply said. It seems they're not getting along as siblings, or Sting doesn't like him at all.

"Don't say it like that, Sting. I especially came here to check up on you and to know if you're doing fine. Although, I also have another purpose." He said as he looked at me and winked. Wait, did he wink at me? What's that supposed to mean?

"It's no wonder both of you are good-looking!" another girl squealed.

"Okay, okay. That's enough idle talk for now. Let's begin the class."

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All through the History class, I noticed that Rufus-sensei keeps on glancing at me. And whenever we catch each other's glimpse, he smiles. Does he know me? It makes me so confused. I want to ask him directly after class, but my brothers might notice it. So I decided that I better not mind. As long as nothing will go wrong, I'll just ignore it.

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**~Dinner Time~**

"Jellal-nii, I already told my friends that you are coming with me." I started the conversation while we eat dinner.

"Where are you going with Jellal-nii?" Natsu-nii suddenly asked.

"At Mira's birthday celebration, it will take place at her aunt's island resort this Saturday." I answered.

"Don't you have part-time job that day Jellal-nii? I could go with her since I'm free that day." Gray-nii spoke.

"No, I'll go with her. I'll just take a leave. And it wouldn't be safe if no one's watching the house, especially at night, so you just stay at home Gray, and Natsu be sure to go home early. We won't be back until Sunday afternoon." Jellal-nii explained.

"Okay." The twins just agreed.

"Oh right, we have a substitute History teacher while Gildarts-sensei is on leave. Did you already see him at school?" I asked the three of them.

"The young man with long, blonde hair?" Gray-nii asked.

"Yes! He is Rufus-sensei." I replied.

"Rufus, you say?" Jellal-nii suddenly asked in surprise.

"Yeah, do you know him Jellal-nii?" I asked him. It seems that he got startled when he heard Rufus-sensei's name.

"No. I don't know him. Maybe I'll see him at school tomorrow. So, what are your first impressions about him?"

"The first thing I noticed was he seemed like a mysterious person. But overall, he is kind and he teaches very well. And one thing more, he's really popular. It's just his first day but he's already known by almost all of the girls at the Academy." I explained.

"I bet he's a womanizer." Natsu-nii declared.

"Not every popular guy is like you Natsu." Gray-nii countered. I'm glad they're talking to each other again. Maybe Jellal-nii scolded them for being childish. I mentally grinned at that thought.

"He said to us that he's currently single" I said to them.

"Maybe he just broke up with his girlfriend, or he's keeping a secret relationship. A teacher's reputation is a big thing, you know." Gray-nii said.

"It's possible." I agreed. I don't want to tell them that Rufus-sensei is Sting's half-brother, and I also don't want to tell them he keeps on glancing at me during class. I don't want to ruin the happy mood we have right now.

**~Saturday, 5 AM~**

**Normal POV**

Lucy and Jellal went to the meeting place of those who'll be going to the island resort. When they arrived, Levy, Cana, Juvia, and their boyfriends are already there.

"I can't believe that Mira, I know she's excited about this, but travelling this early in the morning is too much excitement." Lucy whined to her friends while yawning.

"Mira is always excited. She gets excited even over small things. We can't help it Lu-chan." Levy responded to her.

"It's her personality Lucy, get used to it already! And besides, it's her birthday, let's just put up with her every wish even just for today and tomorrow." Cana said.

"Well, I guess you're right." Lucy agreed.

"She's the most excited, but she's not even here yet." Juvia spoke.

"I sent her a text message; she said they're on their way. She's with Lisanna." Levy said to them.

"Oh yeah, guys, by the way this is my boyfriend, Bacchus." Cana introduced the man she's with.

"Oh, this is my boyfriend, Gajeel." Levy said next.

"Then this is my boyfriend, Lyon." Juvia said while linking her arms with Lyon.

"Well, I don't have a boyfriend, but this is my older brother, Jellal. You already knew him, right?" Lucy finally said to her friends.

"Of course! Thank you for allowing Lu-chan to come, Jellal-senpai!" Levy exclaimed.

"Let's just think that he's your boyfriend during the trip, since we're all couples here." Cana said, grinning.

"Hey, Cana! Don't say that in front of Jellal-nii! It's embarrassing!" Lucy suddenly yelled to Cana in surprise.

"Haha! I'm just kidding! You're so serious Lucy!" Cana said while suppressing her laugh.

"It's fine. That way no one will dare make moves on you." Jellal just said calmly while smiling.

Lucy is so embarrassed that she just fell silent.

.

.

.

Moments later, Erza arrived with her boyfriend.

"Erza-san, what's with that luggage?" Juvia asked.

"Yeah, we aren't staying there for a whole month, you know?" Cana agreed.

"I had trouble choosing which to bring so I just brought everything." Erza simply answered.

All of them sweat dropped.

"Oh, this is my boyfriend Simon." Erza said while wrapping an arm around her boyfriend's waist. Then the rest of them greeted him.

"Where are Lisanna and the celebrant?" Erza asked them.

"They're on their way." Levy answered.

"I think she prepared too much for her birthday that's why she took so long." Lucy said.

"It's her birthday after all." Erza responded.

.

.

.

Few minutes later Lisanna and Mira finally arrived with their boyfriends carrying their bags.

"Guys I'm so sorry for being late!" Mira apologized immediately.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY MIRA!" the girls greeted her.

"Oh, thank you guys . . ." Mira said with teary eyes. Then she hugged the girls. "Wait, this is Laxus, my boyfriend."

"And also my boyfriend, Bickslow." Lisanna added. They all greeted each other.

"So shall we go? So that we can already start the fun . . ." Cana said with an evil grin.

"Okay!" Mira said happily. Then she guided them on the way to where their boat is docked. It took an hour before they arrived at the island resort.

"Wow, you sure have a lot of tourists here Mira!" Levy screamed happily.

"Yes, my aunt's resort is quite popular. So we're really lucky." Mira agreed. "First, let's leave our bags at the duplex given to us. One for the girls and one for the boys."

"That's boring. Don't we have separate rooms for each couple?" asked Gajeel.

"Hey Gajeel! What do you mean separate rooms for each couple?!" Levy scolded him.

"You know . . . So that we can have 'alone time' together! We haven't, uhm in a while . . . I missed you." Gajeel replied shyly.

"Levy, you didn't tell us that you've already done THAT!" Cana teased her.

Levy blushed so hard that she put a ripe tomato to shame.

"Prepare yourself later Gajeel." Levy whispered to Gajeel while glaring at him.

"H-hey, I'm sorry. I thought your friends already know it! You didn't tell me to keep it a secret!" Gajeel said in a defensive stance.

"Never mind, what's done is done." Levy said calmly, but still a bit mad.

"Okay that's enough. We're supposed to have fun today guys." Erza butted in.

"Yes! It's okay Levy, so don't worry about it. It's completely normal for couples, right Juvia?" Lisanna agreed.

"H-huh?! Uh . . . Juvia is . . ." Juvia replied, stammering.

"No need to keep secrets to each other girls!" Mira exclaimed. "Stop acting all innocent now, the only innocent here is Lucy." Then they all looked at Lucy.

"I don't know if you're praising me or insulting me Mira." Lucy said.

"Of course I'm praising you!"

"Mira-san, you're making her feel out of place." Juvia commented.

"Jellal-nii, they're making fun of me!" Lucy whined.

"Don't mind it." Jellal just smiled, and ruffled Lucy's hair.

"Mira, I think Gajeel-kun is right. I'm not saying that I want an 'alone time' with my boyfriend, but since all the guys just met, it might be awkward for them to be suddenly together in a room." Cana explained.

"You have a point there, Cana. Okay I'll arrange that, but for now, let's just put our bags at the duplex so we can have breakfast at the dining hall."

So, the group went to their duplex to put their bags, and then went straight to the dining hall to eat. They already have a big table reserved for them.

"Lucy, just sit here, I'll bring your food." Jellal said to Lucy.

"No, I can do it Jellal-nii." Lucy answered. "You just get yours. I will be fine."

"No, I'll get yours."

"But . . ."

"Don't worry about me, I'll return to the buffet table after I bring your breakfast. And did you already forget I'm the one who cooks our meals? I perfectly know what you like and what's good for you." Jellal said while smiling.

"Okay. You're really stubborn Jellal-nii." Lucy answered and smiled back.

"Just wait there okay?"

Lucy just nodded.

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.

.

"Your brother treats you like a princess, Lucy." Lyon suddenly approached and sat beside her.

"Uhm, yeah, even though sometimes he treats me like a little girl. But I already got used to it so it's okay. " Lucy responded. "By the way Lyon-san, where is Juvia?"

"She went outside. She told me that she already had breakfast at home so she'll just wait at the duplex." Lyon answered.

"Oh, okay."

"Why is it you still don't have a boyfriend? You're unmistakably beautiful, not to mention, very sexy too. When I first saw you this morning, I even . . ." but Lyon didn't finish his sentence.

"You even what, Lyon-san?" asked Lucy.

"Nothing, never mind that. Lucy, can we exchange numbers? It's the first time I met Juvia's friends, so I thought I'll make friends with them too." Lyon changed the topic.

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.

.

Meanwhile, not so far away, Jellal can clearly see what's happening at their table.

"We haven't even lasted for an hour here, and someone's already hitting on Lucy." Jellal whispered. He hurried so that he can quickly get back at their table.

.

.

.

"I'm sorry Lyon-san, but I don't have my own phone." Lucy simply responded apologetically.

"Oh, that's too bad. And here I thought we can talk more through phone. You seem very easy to talk to, and very kind. And just call me Lyon. Okay?" Lyon spoke.

"You're praising me too much Lyon-san! I mean, Lyon. I think you just got a wrong first impression of me." Lucy humbly replied.

"No, I think I got my first impressions correct." Lyon said while smiling. "I wish I met you first before Juvia." He continued.

"What do you mean by that last sentence?" Jellal suddenly appeared.

"Oh Jellal-nii! You're finally here! You already got your breakfast too?" Lucy asked.

"Yeah, I just realized I shouldn't be away from you even for just a minute." Jellal answered while looking at Lyon.

"What's that supposed to mean Jellal-nii?! You think I'll get lost or something?"

"Hi Jellal-san. You're lucky to have a sister like Lucy. Or maybe I should say, you're unlucky because she's your sister?" Lyon spoke casually.

Jellal just ignored his taunts and sat beside Lucy. "Let's eat now, Lucy, so we can go to our room and rest. We woke up very early so I'm beginning to feel sleepy again."

"Okay!" Lucy answered, not noticing the tension between the two men.

.

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.

After eating, they went straight to the duplex together with Lyon, Cana, Bacchus, Levy, Gajeel, Lisanna, Bickslow, Erza and Simon. Mira, Laxus, and Juvia are already there.

"Oh there you are guys! How's the breakfast?" Mira asked them.

"It's so good! I ate a lot!" Levy answered first.

"Yeah the food is delicious; too bad we're not staying long here." Cana seconded.

"I'm very happy to hear that! By the way I already arranged the rooms for us. And as requested by Gajeel-kun, we'll have a separate room for each couple. Here are the room keys. The rooms are located at the building just beside this duplex. Lisanna, Erza, Cana, our rooms are on the 4th floor. While Lucy, Juvia, and Levy, you're on the 5th." Then Mira handed them their keys. "As for now, you're free to rest, or walk around the resort and check out the sightings, or have some 'alone time'. But be sure that you'll be in your rooms before noon because I'll be fetching all of you." Mira continued.

"Okay!" They chorused. They carried their bags and walked out of the duplex. Lucy got surprised when Lyon suddenly whispered to her ear, "I think I'm lucky that we have our rooms near each other."

Jellal noticed it so he pulled Lucy closer to him. "Just stay beside me. I don't want you away from my sight." Lucy just nodded to him.

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.

Lucy and Jellal finally reached their room. Before they got inside, Jellal noticed that Lyon waved his hand to Lucy before entering their room.

"Lucy, stay away from that Lyon." He said flat out right after they went inside.

"Why Jellal-nii? He said he wants to be friends with me. And he's a nice person. I'm sure he won't flirt with me because he already has Juvia." Lucy answered.

"Just because he has a girlfriend doesn't mean that he won't flirt with other girls."

"But Jellal-nii, he's not flirting with me!" Lucy yelled.

"Don't be stubborn Lucy. I know what I saw." Jellal continued.

"What? He just talked to me. He didn't touch me anywhere. He just wants to be friends okay?"

"I don't care. Stay away from him. I don't want to see you talking to him again."

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"I can't believe you Jellal-nii. You're too much." Lucy said in a low and sad voice, almost crying.

"I'm just protecting you Lucy."

"Okay. Do what you want. You're always right anyway." Lucy continued.

"Lucy, don't go making faces like that."

"Okay."

"Do you really understand me?" Jellal said in irritation, almost shouting.

"Okay."

"Lucy, don't be so stubborn right now!" Jellal continued, in a louder voice.

Lucy just lied down on the bed, pulled the covers until her face was hidden.

"If Gray-nii just came with me instead, he'll never do this to me." Lucy whispered in a shaky voice.

"Are you telling me you like to be with Gray more than me?!"

"I don't understand you Jellal-nii. You're acting strange. You're getting jealous even over your own brother." Then Jellal heard her crying.

Now Jellal feels so guilty.

* * *

_**A/N: Oh no! They had a fight! What will happen now between the siblings? Is the fun already over before it can even start? Poor Lucy**__**. Has Lyon fallen in love with Lucy at first sight? And what is Rufus-sensei's purpose in entering the Academy?**_

_**Lucy, you're so lucky all those (how many? 5? 6?)hot guys are crazy for you! *Sigh***_

_**Oh, before I forget, can you please go to my profile ;) I made a poll on whose male characters you want to be included in my next Lucy harem fanfic! Please choose 5 characters!**_


	11. Chapter 11

**My Annoying Brothers**

Jellal walked to their bed and sat beside her.

"Lucy . . . I'm sorry . . . I didn't mean to shout at you. I'm really sorry Lucy." Jellal apologized.

Lucy just continued to cry. Then spoke softly, still under the covers. "It's okay. Just like what Mira said, I'm innocent. I don't know anything about relationships, I don't know if a boy is hitting on me or not. I really don't know anything. I'm ignorant."

"That's why I'm protecting you. I know I'm being too much, but I don't want you to be hurt, or be taken advantage by any guy. You're too important to me."

"Then you should've just not allowed me to come here."

"Lucy . . . please, forgive me." Jellal continued.

"I'm sleepy Jellal-nii. I'll rest now." Lucy ignored Jellal's apology. She turned to her side, her back facing Jellal.

Still feeling guilty, he lied next to her, got under the covers, and wrapped his arm around her waist, hugging her tight.

"Lucy, don't do this to me. I can't calm down if you're mad at me." Jellal whispered softly.

"Don't touch me like that, Jellal-nii. I might think you're hitting on me too." Lucy spoke in a serious tone. And she removed Jellal's hand from her waist.

"Lucy! Why are you acting like this! Do you really want to get close to that Lyon that badly?!" Jellal asked in anger.

"Maybe. I don't know. Maybe I have fallen in love with him and I'll snatch him away from Juvia, maybe that's why." Lucy replied, adding fuel to the fire.

Jellal snapped.

"No! You're mine Lucy! YOU'RE MINE!" Jellal yelled, suddenly pinning her to the bed. Lucy was shocked at her brother's sudden change.

"What are you doing Jellal-nii! What are you saying! Have you gotten crazy?" Lucy asked in panic as she struggled to get free.

"Lucy, I love you! I love you more than a sister! I don't want you getting close to other guys because I'm jealous! Maybe I'm crazy, but I love you more than anyone in this world! I want to marry you and have kids with you! I want to grow old with you, and be with you for the rest of my life!" Jellal yelled with sadness in his eyes.

"W-what are y-you s-saying . . . Jellal-nii . . . D-don't joke like that. . . I'm your sister . . . S-stop playing pranks on me like that . . . It's not funny!" Lucy spoke in shock and disbelief.

Jellal suddenly let go of Lucy and stood up from their bed. "I don't plan to say it now, because I want to keep my promise to our parents, but I think I have to tell you the truth. . . Because I don't want you to be confused anymore . . . And I don't want to hide my feelings anymore . . . "Jellal took a deep breath. "The truth is . . . I'm not your real brother. . . We're not real siblings."

Lucy also stood up from the bed and faced Jellal. "W-what do you mean . . . What are you saying . . . Please stop it Jellal-nii! You're playing with my feelings! H-how can you do that to me?!" she continued to cry.

Jellal gently wiped her tears and embraced her. "I'm not forcing you to believe it right away. But please let me explain." He said as he sat on the bed and let Lucy sit beside him. Lucy just kept quiet while crying.

"Our parents adopted you right after you were born because your parents already passed away and you don't have any relatives left to take care of you. Mom and Dad told me, Gray and Natsu that we shouldn't tell you the truth until you turn 18. Ever since I discovered that you're not my real sister, I've always wanted to become your prince, and all I want is to marry you. I've been strict with you, I've been forbidding you to talk to other guys, I don't even want them to touch you, because I'm jealous, because I want you to be by my side forever. You don't know how hard it is to suppress the feelings I have for you for more than 10 years. Lucy, I love you. You're the only girl that I've loved in my whole life." He explained as he held Lucy's hand.

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.

Jellal waited for Lucy's reaction if she'll get mad. But she just wiped her tears, with no sign of anger. She's just calm, but she looks like as if thinking something deeply.

"Jellal-nii, do you know who my real parents are? What are their names? Where are they from?"

Jellal was surprised with her questions. She really wants to know her real parents.

"Uhm . . . About that . . . Actually Mom and Dad told me about them. But I already forgot their names. I'm sorry." Jellal just answered sadly.

"It's fine . . . I'm just thinking there might be a chance I can get to know them even if they're already gone. . . Uhm . . . Jellal-nii . . . Does it mean you're not my brother anymore? Gray-nii and Natsu-nii too?" Lucy asked as she rested her head on Jellal's shoulder.

"We're still your brothers. Being biological or not doesn't matter. We're still family whatever happens. We'll still treat you as our sister just like before. And I won't leave you, ever. That's what we promised to Mom and Dad. And we'll keep it." Jellal answered and wrapped his arm around her shoulder.

"Okay." She just answered.

"Wait. You're not mad?"

"If our parents were the ones who decided not tell me the truth until I'm 18, I can forgive them. They took care of me after all, and treated me as their real daughter. I can't get mad at them. Although it's a bit sad that I don't have any relatives anymore." She just explained.

"Uhm . . . Lucy . . ." Jellal spoke hesitantly.

"What is it, Jellal-nii?" she asked.

"You know . . . About my confession . . ."

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Realizing this, Lucy suddenly blushed and quickly stood up as if avoiding Jellal.

"Oh, I almost forgot I should go see the girls now! See you later Jellal-nii!" and she rushed to the door.

"Wait!" Jellal screamed but she already went out.

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**Lucy POV**

My heart can't stop beating so fast. I was too affected about me being adopted this whole time that I actually forgot that Jellal-nii confessed his love to me. Jellal-nii you idiot! Confessing out the blue! I really need to talk to the girls now.

I walked quickly and went to Mira and Laxus' room. I knocked softly on the door. Mira opened it and greeted me.

"Oh, Lucy! What's the matter?"

"Mira, can we talk with the girls? I want to tell you something." I just said.

I think Mira already knew what I'm going to tell them, because she just smiled.

"Unfortunately, Cana, Juvia and Lisanna told me not to disturb their 'alone time' until noon. But Levy and Erza are outside, let's meet them." She said, and I just nodded. She gave a quick peck on Laxus and left the room.

We went outside and saw Levy and Erza at a coffee shop, having a chat. We walked to their table and took a seat.

"Hello Lu-chan! Where is Jellal-senpai?" Levy-chan greeted us.

"He's in the room, resting." I simply answered. I don't know why, but just hearing his name makes my heart pound.

"Where are Gajeel and Simon?" Mira asked them.

"They're just walking around. I think they're getting along well." Erza answered.

"Oh, by the way, we're here because Lucy wants to tell us something." Mira said.

"Why? What's the problem Lu-chan?" Levy-chan asked me worriedly.

I don't know if I should tell them. But there's nothing wrong in asking them, right? I know they can help me regarding matters like this. So I took a deep breath before speaking.

"Jellal-nii just confessed to me."

Levy, Erza, and Mira's mouths dropped open in shock.

"What?! Oh my God Lu-chan! So your brothers are really in love with you!" Levy screamed. I quickly covered her mouth.

"Ssshhh! Be quiet Levy-chan! And I said that Jellal-nii confessed, not all of them. It's just Jellal-nii."

"It can be that they're all in love with you but Jellal-senpai was the first one to confess." Erza said.

"Wait! Just let me explain first okay?! That's not all, he also told me something important." I said to them. Then they focused all their attention to me.

"He just told me that we're not biological siblings. He said I was just adopted."

"I can't believe this. Is your life some kind of a drama on TV?" Mira said.

"Actually, I'm still a bit confused. I don't even know if this is just a dream. And the confession Jellal-nii just told me. He just told me out of the blue that he wanted to marry me."

"I didn't know Jellal-senpai can be that romantic. I always see him at the Academy as a serious and calm handsome student. Just imagining him confessing to Lucy makes him much more handsome!" Mira squealed with twinkling eyes.

"Hey I'm serious here!" I screamed.

"Wait, what lead him to confess to you and tell the truth? Did something happen before he confessed?" Levy asked.

"Well, he got jealous of Lyon because he was talking to me at the dining hall. I said that he's not hitting on me because he already has Juvia. Then we had a fight and he suddenly confessed and told the truth. Everything happened too fast." I explained.

"Okay. So do you like him too?" Erza asked.

"Huh?! What's with that question, Erza?" I asked in surprise.

"He just proposed to you that he wants to marry you. Will you say yes?"

"I don't know! I mean, I just see him as my brother all this time. How can I like him more than a brother so suddenly?" I said, feeling nervous.

"Hey Erza don't forget that Gray-senpai and Natsu-senpai are there too." Levy suddenly spoke.

"Oh right. Who will you choose between the three of them now that you knew the truth?" Erza asked again.

"What are you saying? It's not like the three of them have feelings for me okay? It's only Jellal-nii." I answered.

"You know, if all this time they all know that you're not biological siblings, it means they're always making moves on you without you noticing, because they know you won't figure it out that they have feelings for you! What if the twins also confessed to you? What are you going to do?" Mira asked while grinning.

"Well . . . I don't know . . ." I just answered. But, what if what Mira said was true? Are my brothers really making a move on me all this time because they know I won't notice anything?

"I told you! It's hard to choose between the three of them! Oh my God you're so lucky you're living with three sexy guys that are not related to you!" Levy exclaimed.

"If I were you, I won't choose. I'll have the three of them just for myself! That's heaven!" Mira squealed.

"Hey Mira, you're giving Lucy dirty thoughts." Erza suddenly interrupted.

"Hey, I'm not giving her dirty thoughts. Besides, if the three of them agreed, there's no problem. Right, Lucy?" Mira said with an evil grin.

"I don't know what you're talking about." I just answered while I feel my cheeks getting hot. "By the way, please keep this a secret from everyone. Especially at the Academy, everyone knows that we're siblings, so it'll be a problem if it came out."

"Of course!" the three of them chorused. I sighed with relief.

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.

"So Lucy, how will you handle sleeping with him tonight?" Mira asked with an evil grin.

Crap. I totally forgot about that. What will I do? What if something unexpected happened? We used to sleep on the same bed when we were kids. But, it's different now! What the hell? I'm imagining too much! My heart is pounding madly again!

"Hey Lucy you're blushing, you know?" Erza teased me.

"W-well . . . We slept on the same bed just a few days ago . . . S-so I think I'll be alright." I said, stammering.

"Really Lu-chan? Few days ago you slept as a brother and sister, but what about tonight? Both of you might have a sweet 'alone time'. We'll never know." Levy-chan teased. Damn, my friends really enjoy teasing me!

"What are you saying? I don't know what you're talking about!" I yelled to them.

"Lucy might not be innocent anymore after this trip." Mira continued to tease.

"Oh my God please stop it already guys." I pleaded.

"You're really fun to tease Lucy. By the way come with me to my room, I'll give you the swimsuits. We'll be swimming later before we have lunch." Mira changed the topic, thank God.

"Okay. So, Levy-chan, Erza, we'll be leaving. Thank you so much for teasing me." I said to them.

"You're welcome Lu-chan. Okay, see you later at the beach!" Levy-chan said while laughing and then waved goodbye.

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When we returned, Mira let me in to their room. Laxus was watching TV when we came, I greeted him and he just nodded. Mira scattered different swimsuits on the bed.

"Lucy, choose a swimsuit that you like." Mira said. I looked at the swimsuits; they all look the same to me, except the colors.

"Mira, you choose for me. They all look the same to me after all." I said.

"Okay, hmm . . ." Mira said as she was busy choosing a swimsuit, then she finally picked one. "Lucy, this will perfectly fit you, since you're very sexy." And she gave me a red and black striped two-piece bikini.

"Oh, you're the sexy one here Mira, don't joke like that." I said to her. "Wait, how can I wear this? These are just strings."

Mira laughed softly. "You tie them of course!"

"Are you sure this will cover me?" I asked.

"You're really funny Lucy. Of course it'll cover you. You can try it on first inside the bathroom, if you think that it doesn't cover you, return it to me then I'll replace it with a different one. By the way, here's also a caftan to put on top of the swimsuit."

"Okay. I'll try it on then. See you later Mira!" and I waved goodbye to them before I left their room.

I wonder if Jellal-nii is still inside our room, I hope not. I don't know how I will act in front of him. It will really feel awkward!

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I was walking absentmindedly when I bumped into someone, probably one of the building staff. Damn, I'm so out of my mind right now that I can't focus on my surroundings. I even dropped the swimsuit Mira lent me. I'm so careless.

"Oh I'm sorry!" I apologized as I bent down to pick up the swimsuit but he was quick and picked it up first, so I accidentally touched his hand. We both stood up, I saw his name tag, Rogue. What an unusual name.

"I'm sorry again for bumping into you." I apologized to him again.

"Don't be sorry, Miss. It didn't hurt anyway. Is it your first time here at the resort?" he asked.

"Uhm . . . Yeah . . . It's my friend's birthday today. Her aunt owns this resort so she decided to celebrate it here." I answered.

"You mean, Mira-sama? You're her friend?" he asked in surprise.

"Yes . . ."

"Nice to meet you . . ."

"I'm Lucy."

"Nice to meet you, Lucy-sama. I hope you enjoy your stay here. By the way, I'm Rogue, I'm a bartender here. If you need something, you can look for me at the bar located on the first floor of this building. I'll gladly help you."

"Thanks." I just replied.

"Are you okay Lucy-sama? You seem out of it. How about I let you try our fruit shakes? It might lighten your mood. Don't worry, it's on me." He suddenly offered. Maybe it's a good idea. And I'm not ready to face Jellal-nii yet.

"Okay, I won't refuse anything that's free." I joked to him and smiled.

"You should smile like that always; it will be a waste to your beautiful face if you always have furrowed eyebrows just like a while ago." Rogue said.

"Something just came up, that's why." I explained.

"Oh, a fight with a boyfriend?" he tried to guess.

I chuckled. "No, I haven't even had a boyfriend in my whole life."

"That's a surprise. Your beauty isn't the kind to be left unnoticed by any man." I just laughed at his comment.

We reached the bar and he went inside to prepare my fruit shake. I just sat on one of the stools and waited. Few minutes later he came back with a strawberry fruit shake. I took a sip and praised him for perfectly making it. He blushed; he actually looks cute when blushing. We just chatted about random things. I got caught up with our chat and didn't notice that an hour already passed. Realizing that, I politely excused myself and told Rogue that I have to return to the room. I also thanked him for the fruit shake.

"If it's possible, can we chat again Lucy-sama?" Rogue asked shyly. "I was hoping we can talk again, and not worrying about the time."

"Sure, maybe tonight. Since we'll be returning tomorrow afternoon." I waved to him and went off.

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I carefully opened the door to our room and peeked, I saw him sleeping on the bed. Right, he can't go outside because I had the room key. But thank God he's asleep. I quickly went inside the bathroom to try the swimsuit.

I took off my clothes, leaving nothing. Wait, I think I'll shower first, since I'm all sweaty. So I turned the shower and enjoyed the warm water splashing to my body. It's really relaxing to have a shower after that talk with the girls and all their teasing a while ago. I think I want to stay like this for 30 more minutes.

I got nervous after seeing him sleeping on the bed. Just seeing him or hearing his name is making my heart leap. I don't know why. My mind keeps on repeating the words he said to me. He wants to marry me. He wants to spend the rest of his life with me. He's in love with me. Damn! I can't forget those words. What's happening to me? It's as if I'm starting to see him not as a brother anymore.

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After a long shower, I feel relaxed now. I reached for a clean towel, wiped myself, and wrung my hair. I stared at the reflection of my naked body on the mirror; I really can't see myself as sexy. That Mira, telling me I'm sexy? Sexy is a word used only for an adult, mature woman. And I'm far from mature. Everyone treats me like a girl. I'm ignorant about many things, how can that be called mature?

Ugh, forget that. I'll just feel down if I continue to think of depressing things. I glanced at the swimsuit Mira gave me. I wonder how I will look if I wore it. Will it suit me? I reached for them. These are really just strings, won't it fall off?

I first tried the bottom. It was quite easy to put on; I just tied the strings like what Mira said. Well, i think I did the right job. Next is the top.

I studied it for a while, I was about to tie it at the back of my neck when I heard the bathroom door open. Crap! Maybe Jellal-nii just woke up and thought that I hadn't come back yet! I saw his shocked expression after seeing my bare chest.

"Kyaaahhh!" I screamed and I attempted to run and hide but I suddenly stepped in a puddle of water and slipped.

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When I opened my eyes, I saw Jellal-nii holding me in his arms. He caught me right after I slipped so I didn't hit my head. But that's not the problem here! Jellal-nii is blushing madly because my chest is in full view!

Damn! Why did it have to happen right now?!


	12. Chapter 12

_**WARNING: if you are not a JeLu or JellalxLucy shipper, better not read this chapter. Yeah, Jellal has all the luck during the trip. I'm sorry NaLu and GrayLu shippers! *bows head repeatedly* (but don't worry, once they get back to Magnolia I 'll give you a dose of NaLu and GrayLu moments)and not that I want to spoil, but there will be a very steamy JeLu moment maybe next chapter or next, next chapter. I'm just telling you in advance so you can prepare and won't get surprised. Heehee.**_

* * *

**My Annoying Brothers**

"Are you okay Lucy?" Jellal-nii asked me.

"Uhm . . . Yes. Thank you for saving me. You can let me go now." I said while I cover my chest with my arms. I'm overly embarrassed right now that I can't look at him straight in the eye. "Wait," he said to me then reached the towel I used. He covered my exposed body, helped me stand up and then let me go.

" . . . "

There was a deafening silence between us. Lucy, you've got to act normally around him! Act like nothing happened!

"Lucy . . . Are you mad at me?" Jellal-nii asked suddenly.

"No, of course not!" I quickly answered. Crap, he can clearly see I'm nervous as hell right now.

"I thought you're mad because you just ran out suddenly." Jellal-nii said.

"It's nothing!" I nervously said.

"Lucy . . . About my confession to you . . . Uhm . . . Do you believe it?" he asked.

What the hell? How will I answer that? Damn! Is there a girl that can easily believe a love confession from her brother that she just discovered wasn't her real brother? It didn't even cross my mind that it will happen!

"Jellal-nii, actually I don't know if I'll believe it or not. You told me that I'm the only one you loved but you had girlfriends before, right? And we've been siblings for so long that it makes it hard for me to think that you love me more than a sister." I just explained.

I got surprised when Jellal-nii suddenly hugged me.

"Lucy, to tell you the truth, I never really had a girlfriend. I just lied to you, to Gray and Natsu. Did you ever see me bring a girl to our house? Not, right? My eyes, my lips, my attention, my love, my heart, my body, all of me, are just yours. Never even once I got an interest in other girls. It's just you Lucy." he whispered to me. I felt like all those words really came from his heart.

"But . . . Jellal-nii . . . I'm kinda feeling awkward when you're saying those things to me. It's like you're a different person." I said to him.

"It's because I'm holding back all this time. I'm in love with you, but we're also siblings. And the three of us promised our parents that we'll protect you and love you as your big brothers. So I acted as one, because it's only the four of us in this world. That's why I worked so hard. I don't want to disappoint Mom and Dad. And I also want to prove to them that I'm worthy of being your prince."

"Uhm . . . Jellal-nii . . ."

"Lucy, will you promise me that you'll never leave me whatever may happen?" Jellal-nii whispered to me.

"Why are you suddenly telling me that, Jellal-nii? Why will I leave you?" I asked in confusion.

"Just promise me Lucy."

"Okay. If it will calm you down. I promise." I just gave in. "But promise me also one thing."

"What is it?"

"Promise me that you'll never get mad when I talk to Lyon, and the other guys. I don't want them to think that I'm a snob."

"Hey Lucy, that's a different story."

"If you can't promise that, then I won't promise you too."

"Fine! But no touching!"

"Okay."

We fell silent for a while but Jellal-nii spoke again.

"Why are you wearing that?" he asked, referring to the bikini. Actually, I haven't worn the top yet. I'm still covered by the towel.

"Mira said we'll be swimming at the beach later. I just tried it on if this will suit me. You want to come along, Jellal-nii?" I asked.

"Sure. But I don't like the idea of you wearing that. The guys will keep on staring at you." He said.

"Then what should I wear?" I asked him, with a raised eyebrow.

"I don't know. I just said that I don't like the idea." He answered.

"Jellal-nii, I'm not the only one who will be wearing a swimsuit. There's Levy-chan, Erza, Cana, Juvia, Lisanna and especially Mira. The guys will stare at them, not at me. I'm not even sexy."

"You're irresistibly sexy."

"What?" I asked.

"Nothing. Let me tie your top for you. You seem to have difficulty tying it."

"Okay. Turn away for a minute Jellal-nii. I'll just put it on first." I said then he turned his back to me. Although he's not looking, I really feel overly self-conscious now. I'm starting to think he has eyes on the back of his head and staring at me. After I put it on, I then turned my back to him.

"Okay, tie it now Jellal-nii. Make it tight so it wouldn't fall off." I said to him.

"Of course. I'd kill every guy that happens to see you naked when your bikini falls off."

"Hey Jellal-nii, you're starting to sound like Natsu-nii." I teased him.

"Guys tend to be more possessive right after they confess."

"What? Is that true?" I asked in amusement.

"No, I just made it up." Jellal-nii answered and he laughed.

"So, you're really just making fun of me!"

"Actually, the possessiveness only applies to me." He whispered.

"You know what Jellal-nii, you're always making fun of me that I don't even know if you're telling the truth or not."

"When I tell you that I love you, it is always true." He said and smiled.

I fell silent. Damn! That made my heart beat faster again.

"Uhm . . . Jellal-nii?" I asked in hesitation.

"What is it?"

"Nothing . . . Is it done?" I want to ask him about the twins. About what Mira told me. But he might get jealous again. Sigh.

"Okay, done." Jellal-nii said as he finished tying the strings.

"Does it suit me?" I asked.

"It perfectly suits you that I think blood will rain when you go outside."

"I don't get what you're saying Jellal-nii."

"Maybe you'll get it when you try to walk outside wearing that." Jellal-nii said while grinning.

"Stop making fun of me already!" I cried.

"Okay, okay. You're really beautiful Lucy."

I blushed. Ever since that confession a while ago, I'm beginning to think that his every praise is a confession. My God! I'm getting all overly self-conscious now! What are you thinking Lucy?

"Uhm . . . Jellal-nii, you want to go outside? I want to explore and walk around the resort." Yeah, change the subject.

"Okay, but wear something on top of your swimsuit."

"Don't worry, Mira gave me an open-knit tunic to wear." I showed him the tunic and wore it.

"What's that? That didn't even hide what you're wearing underneath!" Jellal-nii spoke with irritation.

"Jellal-nii, you complain too much. You're like a girl." I teased him.

"I'm just telling the truth. I don't want guys ogling at you. You know what, if I become your boyfriend, I'll definitely forbid you to show too much skin!"

I was shocked. What the hell is he saying? Damn it Jellal-nii! You're making my heart race again!

"W-what?! What do you mean boyfriend?"

"Nothing. I'll hold your hand while we walk, okay? You might get lost." He avoided my question.

"I really don't get you. I should've just come here with Gray-nii instead. He doesn't tease me and make fun of me." I said, pouting.

"Why are you mentioning Gray now? Are you making me jealous?" he asked, irritated again.

"Of course not!" I sweat dropped. Just what I thought, he's already acting like a jealous boyfriend.

"I noticed that you and Gray got closer now" he commented.

"You think so? I didn't even notice it." I said.

"Whatever, let's go now. Give me your hand." He simply said as we walked to the door and went out. I held his hand, and he squeezed it. I have held his hand a lot of times ever since we were kids, but I never noticed until now that it's actually very comforting and warm. Crap, what am I thinking?

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"Lucy! Jellal-senpai!" we heard someone call us. We turned to see Mira and Laxus walking out of their room.

"Oh hello Mira, where are you going?" I asked.

"We're going to my aunt so that we can prepare the lunch for us. By the way, Lucy you look so gorgeous and sexy! The swimsuit really suits you! Right, Laxus?" Mira said as if teasing me.

"Yeah, you're incredibly sexy. I would go for you if Mira wasn't just my girlfriend." Laxus answered. I felt Jellal-nii squeeze my hand again. Is he jealous?

"Oh, I didn't know that you can joke, Laxus!" I just said while forcing a chuckle.

"So where are you going too?" Mira asked us.

"We're just going to take a stroll around the resort, Mira." I answered.

"Oh, okay. Be sure to go to the beach later. All of us will take a swim, and have some fun games." Mira said, smiling.

"Sure. We'll be going now, Mira, Laxus. See you later!" I said and they waved back to us as we walk away.

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.

.

"That Laxus sure have guts to say that in front of his girlfriend." Jellal-nii whispered.

"He's just joking you know?" I said.

"Those eyes ogling at you doesn't tell me that it's a joke. And did you notice that he's staring at your chest?" he continued.

"The promise." I reminded him.

"Fine. I didn't know you have blackmailing abilities Lucy." Huh? Is he insulting me or what? And did he already forget that he saw my bare chest a while ago? I think I'm starting to know how possessive he can get. But at least, he's not like Natsu-nii that loses temper easily. If Natsu-nii were here, I bet he'll punch Laxus without a second thought. Yeah, and all the guys who try to compliment me will receive a punch from him.

"Jellal-nii I'm not blackmailing you. Anyway, let's hurry!" I pulled his hand and walked quickly.

As soon as we got outside the building, Jellal-nii keeps on squeezing my hand. Maybe he does it whenever he sees a guy staring at me? I don't know. I didn't even care about it. I just want to have a walk around. We went to every shop that we saw. When we happen to enter a souvenir shop, I begged Jellal-nii to buy a souvenir for Gray-nii and Natsu-nii. It's too bad that they can't come. I wish they are also with us now; it'll be more fun if all of us are here.

After strolling for an hour and a half, we went to the beach. Some of the girls and guys are already there. We greeted them, and yes, complimented each other's swimsuits. I saw Lyon walk up to me.

"As I thought, you're really sexy." He said. I saw Jellal-nii glaring at him. We're not holding each other's hands now. But I know he'll keep his promise.

"Thank you Lyon! You're quite the hunk too!" I complimented back.

"Really? You think we suit each other?" he whispered so Jellal-nii can't hear him.

"W-what? Juvia might hear you!" I said to him.

"Then, can we meet after this trip, just the two of us? Let's have a chat over coffee. Or you can go to my place so no one can see us." Lyon offered.

"B-but . . . Something is not right about it." I answered.

"Why? We're friends now right?" Lyon asked.

"Yes, but why just the two of us?" I asked back.

"Because I'm only interested in you." He whispered seductively. Huh?! Is he hitting on me or what?

"What do you mean interested in me? That's vague." I said.

"You're beautiful, sexy, kind, simple, it's like you're all in one. And there's something in you that makes me excited, something that Juvia doesn't have." He continued. I feel disturbed with what he said.

"Mind to let me join in your conversation?" Jellal-nii suddenly appeared behind me.

"It's nothing Jellal-nii!" I quickly replied. "He just wants to have a chat again after we return home. Let's go to the others now." I said as I pull him away. Lyon smiled to me then returned to Juvia.

"That's why I don't want you talking to other guys. I just leave you for a minute and before I knew it, they're all around you. You're like a guy magnet." He said.

"Just ignore it Jellal-nii. We'll never meet again after we return home so don't worry." I assured him.

"I hope so." He just said.

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Then when we're all complete, we played different games, and swam at the beach. All through that time, Jellal-nii never left my side. Maybe because Lyon might hit on me again, or so that he can hear everything when a guy tries to talk to me. Even during lunch, he made sure he's always near me. Well, at least he kept his promise; he did not get mad when guys are talking to me. Which I think is a good thing.

After eating lunch, we went to a karaoke; they all went wild, especially Cana and her boyfriend Bacchus. I never thought that Cana will find her match. Levy-chan and Gajeel too, they have different personalities but they suit each other. Lisanna and Bickslow are just laughing and making jokes, they're more like best friends than lovers. Juvia and Lyon are just watching the guys go wild and laugh at them. Mira and Laxus are going noisy too because of Cana and Bacchus. Erza and Simon are all lovey-dovey wherever we go or whatever we do. I think she'll be the first one to get married out of the girls. And I'm the last. Sigh. I don't even know if I'll get married in the future.

"Mira, I heard there's a hot spring here! Why don't we go and have a soak there tonight?" Levy-chan asked.

"That's a good idea Levy!" agreed Cana.

"Sure, let's go there before we party and drink tonight!" shouted Mira.

I sweat dropped. They're really living their life to the fullest. Well, it's not like we can party like this every day. So this is a good chance.

After the karaoke, Mira told us that we should rest long for now, because we'll be partying and drinking from 10PM until dawn. When I looked at the time, it's already 4 in the afternoon. Yeah, we can surely rest for long, and I haven't slept since waking up very early this morning so I really need a sleep.

When we reached inside the room, I quickly went to the bathroom to have a shower. I really feel tired after all those activities we did today. I want to lie down and sleep as soon as possible that I almost fell asleep inside the shower. My mind is already asleep and my eyelids are getting heavy. I just took out anything that my hand grabbed inside my bag without looking at it and just wore it then lied down quickly on the bed. I also felt Jellal-nii lie down beside me after coming out of the shower.

"Lucy, can I sleep beside you?" he asked.

"Yes." I just answered.

"You want me to turn off the lights?"

"Yes." My mind is really too lazy to think right now, and my mind can't properly process his words so I just agreed.

"Can I hug you?"

"Yes."

"Can I kiss you?"

"Yes."

"Do you love me?"

"Yes."

"Are you seducing me?"

"Yes."

"Will you marry me?"

"Yes."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Will you give me as many kids as I want?"

"Yes."

"Can we start now?"

"Yes." I'm just saying yes without even realizing what he's asking.

And then I suddenly felt Jellal-nii kiss the back of my neck and my shoulder. It tickled me.

"Jellal-nii, it tickles . . ." I said sleepily. "Let's sleep, I'm tired."

"We haven't done anything yet but you're already tired?"

"Let's do it later." Answering again without realizing what he means.

Jellal-nii laughed softly. "Lucy, you're totally defenseless now, you know that? And you didn't even realize you're just wearing a nightshirt without anything underneath. Is that how you usually sleep every night, you naughty girl? You can be really careless sometimes. I would've done something to you right now if I couldn't really hold back myself." All I heard are jumbled words. So I didn't understand anything.

"Later Jellal-nii . . ." I whispered, already falling asleep.

"Okay, get ready when I tease you later. I love you Lucy." He said, pulled the covers up 'til it reached our shoulders, and wrapped his arm around my waist. I finally fell in a deep sleep.

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When I woke up, I felt Jellal-nii's arm wrapped around me and I felt his hot breaths at the back of my neck. I slowly removed his arm and stood up from the bed to see what time it is. It's 7 in the evening. Still few hours left before the party. What am I gonna do? Go back to sleep? Nah, I might oversleep. I think I'll go outside for a bit and see how the resort looks at night.

I realized that I'm only wearing a nightshirt, only a nightshirt! I didn't even remember how I wore it. When I'm really sleepy, my body just moves on its own. I wonder if Jellal-nii will tease me later. Damn!

I dressed up properly and wore a hoodie jacket because it might be cold outside. When I stepped outside the building, the night breeze was cold. And there were fewer people than when it's daytime. To pass the time, I just walked around randomly. Until I realized I was already at the beach, and I saw the ocean waters gleaming in the bright moonlight. So I decided to sit near the shoreline to take a little rest.

I was watching the waves when someone suddenly sat beside me.

"Can we have a chat?" He said.


	13. Chapter 13

**My Annoying Brothers**

I turned to see who it is. I just smiled

"Rogue-san . . ."

"Why are you here Lucy-sama?" he asked.

"No reason. Just to pass the time. The party's still at 10PM so I want to take a stroll. By the way, how's the bar? Won't they look for you? You might be needed there." I said.

"My shift's done. Actually, I've been looking for you." He answered.

"Why? Do you have something to say?" I asked curiously.

"I just want to have a chat with you."

I laughed softly. "Why do you want to have a chat with me?" I asked.

"I want to know you better, Lucy-sama."

"Just call me Lucy."

"Okay. Then, just call me Rogue."

"So, why do you want to know me better, Rogue?" I asked.

"Well . . . How do I say it . . ." he whispered, as if finding the right words to say.

"It's okay. Just say it." I said and smiled at him. Then I saw him blush.

"I want to get closer to you. I know that there's a very little chance we might meet again after this, but I still want to be friends with you. And if by chance that I got to Magnolia, can I see you there?" he said, still blushing. He's so cute.

"Of course! Why not?" I just answered.

"Really? Thank you, Lucy. You study at Fairy Academy right?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm Mira's classmate."

"Can I visit you there?"

"Sure. But I'll tell you, my brothers are overprotective of me especially when guys talk to me or get near me. But, don't worry; I'll talk to them about you."

"So, that's the reason you haven't had any boyfriend?"

"Haha! Yes you got it. I have three older brothers. They won't let other guys get near me. They're strict and protective of me because we don't have parents anymore, but I love them. Actually, one of them is with me here at the resort. You got lucky because he's asleep right now." I explained.

"Wow, I guess I'm lucky tonight." Rogue said while smiling, and then I noticed he was staring intently at me.

"Why? Is something wrong?" I asked worriedly. He shook his head.

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.

"Has anyone told you that you have beautiful eyes?" he asked. I got surprised that I began to blush a little.

"W-well . . . Uhm . . . Yeah. . ." I answered. "By the way, Rogue, how about you? Do you have a girlfriend?" I changed the subject.

"I had before. Actually, my girlfriend broke up with me 2 years ago."

"Why? What happened?" I asked anxiously.

"She told me I'm not enough for her. And that she found someone better. Then she just left. It happened so suddenly that I was unable to move on and I was depressed for months. I thought I'm going to die." He answered sadly.

"Oh . . . I'm sorry Rogue." I whispered and held his hand to comfort him. Maybe this is what Gray-nii tries to tell me. That having a relationship can really hurt too much if it didn't work out.

Rogue also held my hand and smiled. "It's okay. I'm already fine and I have moved on. I just wish she's happy with the man she's with right now."

"Don't you have any plans of having a girlfriend again?" I asked.

"Honestly, after that break up 2 years ago, I decided not to be involved in a relationship again, even if it's just a fling. Because the truth is, when I fall in love, I fall too deeply. So I just focused on my work." He said.

"That's not a bad decision. At least, you won't be hurt again." I told him.

"Yes. You're right. By the way . . . Lucy . . ."

"Hmm?"

"I want to ask you something. . ."

"Okay, go on."

"When will your brothers allow you to have a boyfriend? Uhm . . . just wondering."

"Actually, I have no idea. They're not telling me anything." I answered.

"Is that so? I just thought I could wait for you." He whispered.

"W-what?" I asked in surprise.

"S-sorry! I know we just met a few hours ago, so you might think I'm going a bit too fast. But . . ." he paused. "I think I've fallen-"

"LUCY! WHERE ARE YOU?" I heard Jellal-nii's voice. Oh no, he already woke up!

"Ooops. Rogue, my brother is already looking for me. Sorry about that! But, I really had a fun time chatting with you. Let's just talk again if ever you went to Magnolia, okay?" I said to him.

He just smiled. "Of course. You'll be my first priority when I go there. Uhm . . . Lucy, before you leave, can you give me something?" he asked hesitantly.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Can you kiss me? Just on the cheek."

"H-huh?! K-kiss?" I said nervously. He's really going too fast! But since it will be our last meeting, I guess it won't hurt to give him his last request.

"Yes, nothing more."

"Uhm . . . Okay." I said as I drew my face closer to his cheek and kissed him, but to my surprise, he suddenly turned his head so I accidentally kissed his lips! I instantly blushed so hard.

"Hey Rogue, you cheater!" I said as I punched his arm. I stood up and dusted off the sand from my shorts.

He laughed softly. "I'm sorry Lucy. But, your kiss will give me more motivation now. I will surely find you again."

"Of course! Because of that kiss you stole, you still owe me!"

"Don't worry, I'll return it with an added interest."

I just laughed. "I need to go now. Bye Rogue!" I said and waved to him while I walk away. He waved back.

That Rogue, he's sly. But, never mind. He's cute anyway. Oh, I forgot to tell him that he's cute.

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I walked quickly back to Jellal-nii who was looking for me. Thankfully, he didn't see me talking to Rogue, because if he did, he'll surely go on a rampage.

"Jellal-nii, I'm sorry if I went out without telling you. I just took a stroll since I woke up early." I apologized.

"It's okay. As long as you're not lost and nothing happened." He said and patted my head. "Let's go back inside, the night breeze is cold."

We went back to our room, and then I lied on the bed and closed my eyes. Jellal-nii lied down beside me.

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"Lucy?"

"Yes, Jellal-nii?"

"Do you remember what I told you before we slept a few hours ago?"

"What is it?" I asked, still my eyes closed.

"Right before we sleep, when we're already lying down, I asked you a lot of questions. Don't you remember?"

"I don't recall anything. What did you ask, anyway?"

He just laughed. I opened my eyes and looked at him, confused.

"I asked you, 'do you love me'? You said yes. Is that true Lucy?" he asked.

"H-huh?! I said that?" I spoke nervously.

"Yes. You clearly said it." He answered grinning.

"I l-love you b-because you're my brother! You know that!"

"But I also asked you, 'will you marry me'? You also said yes. So it means we're already engaged, right?" He answered, suppressing his laughter.

"W-what do you mean engaged?! That's not true!" I exclaimed.

"But you already said yes, so there's no turning back."

"H-hey! You didn't even give me an engagement ring!" I yelled. Then I realized I just blurted embarrassing words. Damn! What am I saying? Lucy you idiot!

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Jellal-nii crawled closer to me and whispered to my ear in a serious tone, "So, if I give you a ring, you'll marry me?"

Blood rushed to my cheeks, my heart is thumping so hard in my chest and my mind is blank. Jellal-nii is staring intently at me, waiting for my answer, but I can't look at him in the eyes and I'm totally tongue-tied.

"S-stop t-teasing me already!" I shouted.

"I'm not teasing you Lucy. I just confessed to you a while ago, right? Did you forget? Do you really want a ring?"

I even blushed harder. Somebody help me! I think I'm gonna die!

"Just say yes, and as soon as we get back to Magnolia, I'll give you a ring. I'll propose to you properly." He whispered softly that it made my heart beat even faster. I think I'm gonna faint!

When I was about to answer, someone knocked on the door. It ruined the moment, but I'm kind of thankful that I won't be able to answer his question for now. I saw irritation on Jellal-nii's face while he opened the door. It's Levy-chan and Juvia.

"The girls are going to the hot springs now, Lu-chan! Let's go!" Levy-chan exclaimed.

I quickly got up and brought some things and walked to the door.

"Later, Jellal-nii . . ." I just said without even looking back at him.

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While we're soaking at the hot springs, Levy-chan asked me.

"Lu-chan, what were you doing with Jellal-senpai in your room? You're blushing like crazy when we fetched you!" she teased.

"Huh? Nothing!" I nervously said.

"Oh? Up to what base did he reach now?" Mira asked.

"What base are you talking about?" I asked in confusion.

"Did he kiss you? If yes, where? On the lips or somewhere below?" teased Cana.

"W-what?! He didn't do anything like that!" I blurted.

"Don't keep the juicy details only to yourself now Lucy." Erza butted in.

"I swear, he didn't do anything."

"Then, why are you blushing?" asked Juvia.

"Uhm . . . Well . . . He asked me if I want an engagement ring." I answered.

Everyone went silent.

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"Damn you lucky girl!" Cana yelled and suddenly grabbed my breasts from behind.

"Hey! What are you doing?!" I asked in surprise.

"You're the only one here who didn't have a boyfriend, but you're the first one to be engaged. You're unfair Lucy." Lisanna whined.

"W-what? He just asked me! I haven't agreed yet!" I screamed.

"You said 'yet' so it means you'll agree in the near future?" Levy-chan asked with an evil grin.

Damn, I don't know what to do with my friends. Whenever, wherever, they don't get tired of teasing me. And I'm so stupid, blurting out words that will make them tease me more.

I thought that going to the hot springs will calm my mind, but it did nothing at all! Jellal-nii's words are playing repeatedly on my mind. Add the endless teasing I got from my friends. I'm starting to imagine crazy and weird thoughts now. Crap, I don't know what to do. Jellal-nii's handsome face staring at me is clearly still on my head. What? Did I just call him handsome? Oh no, Lucy stop it! He's your brother! Wait, he's not my real brother. Aaaarrrghhh! Lucy, you're insane!

Damn! After we soaked at the hot springs and went back, my mind didn't calm down at all. Okay, at tonight's party, I'll drink! I want to calm down so badly. Anyway, it's just this once, so I guess it will be okay. I will drink even if Jellal-nii tries to stop me. It's his fault after all that I'm like this.

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The party will take place at the duplex which is beside the building we're staying at. When we went inside, the boys are already there, waiting for us. I saw Jellal-nii gazing at me. Oh no! Please stop beating so fast, heart! I avoided his gaze and sat at a couch. He then sat beside me. Crap! Crap! Crap! What's this feeling?

"How's the hot springs?" he asked me.

"It's good!" I responded quickly in nervousness.

"So have you-"

"Let's drink Jellal-nii!" I cut him. I really fear that he might mention about the ring again.

"Huh? I can drink, but I won't let you." He said.

"But Jellal-nii, just this once. Please? You're here with me so there's nothing to worry about, right?" I pleaded. He just stared at me, as if trying to read what's on my mind. I quickly looked away.

"Why do you want to drink?" He asked with a hint of suspicion.

"Uhm . . . I don't want Mira to think that I'm a killjoy. It's her birthday after all. Please? Please?" I pleaded and gave him my best puppy eyes.

"Fine. But if you start going wild and throw up I'm bringing you back to our room right away. Understand?"

"Yes. Thank you Jellal-nii." I just said with full gratitude. Yeah, I can start calming down myself. Lucy, you can do it! Forget everything and you can wake up the next morning like everything is just a dream.

The others already started partying, but I started to eat first what's prepared on the table. I'm really not confident if I can handle liquor. Well, there's Jellal-nii after all.

"Hey Lucy! Let's drink up! Come on!" screamed Cana. She's the drunkard in our group. I nodded and gave it a shot. I almost puked. What the hell? I thought that liquor tasted good. But, never mind, I'll still go on. I gave another shot, and another. After the fourth, I started to feel dizzy. I almost fell down but Jellal-nii caught me. I didn't know that this is what being drunk feels. All of my strength is gone, my mind is hazy and it feels like everything is spinning.

"Lucy, you're already drunk." I heard Jellal-nii say. He let me rest for a while, and when I can stand again, I start to drink again. This continued for God knows how long. And I didn't notice that I lost consciousness.

When I woke up, I noticed that Jellal-nii is carrying me back to the room. My mind is still hazy and I still have no strength in my body.

"Jellal-nii, the party?" I asked in distorted words. I don't even know if Jellal-nii understood me.

"They're still partying, but most of them are already drunk. Let's go and sleep already." He said.

"Time?" I asked again.

"It's 1AM."

"Still early . . . Let's go back."

"No, we're going back to our room."

"But-"

"You had too much liquor. That's enough. You want me to punish you?" he said.

"What. . . Punish?" I said. My mind is unable to process his words. I'm getting dizzy again so I closed my eyes. I suddenly felt him drop me on the bed.

"I'm not in the right state of mind now, Lucy. I might do something to you. And the way you look now is seducing me." He whispered softly.

"What . . ." I spoke with hazy mind.

"Will you let me?"

"What?"

"Punish you."

I slowly opened my eyes and I saw Jellal-nii took off his shirt.

"Jellal-nii . . ." I just whispered. He was staring at me with lust in his eyes. He's really handsome and sexy.

"Are you seducing me? Because if you are, I don't know if I can hold back. Maybe I can if you still don't know the truth, but right now that I already told you my feelings, I don't know if I can stop myself." He whispered seductively.

Jellal-nii quickly crawled on top of me and he caressed my cheek. He's gazing intently at me.

"Lucy, I love you. You're the only girl in my life. You're the only girl I want to marry. You're mine, and I'm yours. I've been waiting for this moment to happen." He said then he slowly drew his face near mine and kissed me. He gently bit my lower lip, there's still a slight taste of liquor, but it tasted so good. My arms automatically wrapped around the back of his neck. Then I felt him deepen the kiss, his tongue entering my mouth. His right hand is still caressing my cheek and his body slowly pressing against mine. My body suddenly feels hot now. We've been kissing for which seemed like eternity, and he suddenly let go, breathing heavily.

"I can't go any further than this. Let's continue this after we get married." He spoke.

"It's hot . . ." I whispered. My body is already sweating. Maybe it's the effect of liquor, or the kiss, I don't know.

"Want to soak in the bathtub?" Jellal-nii asked. I nodded.

* * *

_**A/N: Yeah, here's the steamy scene! (And another steamy continuation next chapter of Jellal's POV and dirty mind. Heehee.)**_


	14. Chapter 14

**My Annoying Brothers**

**Jellal POV**

I removed Lucy's jacket. Her skin is glistening because of the sweat, and it's so beautiful. It makes me want to put hickeys all over her beautiful body. Damn! The inner pervert in me is already taking control.

"Lucy . . ." I whispered softly to her ear. I wanted to remove her clothes so badly now, but she might slap me all of a sudden. Although I know that she had no strength to stop me. But we already kissed, maybe it's fine.

"It's hot . . ." she repeated. Yeah, it's hot, plus she's hot. And I'm getting hot too. I stared at her face, her cheeks tinted pink, with my body pressed on top of her. She's also staring at me but I can't figure out what's running on her mind. I wonder what she is thinking right now.

"Lucy, you want me to take off your clothes?" I asked. Then she just nodded. I slowly lifted her tank top, waiting for her reaction. But she's not doing anything; she's just staring at me. Shit! Are you really seducing me Lucy? My heart started to beat faster when I finally removed her tank top. Next, I started to slowly pull down her denim shorts, waiting again for her reaction. But still, she's not doing or saying anything. When it's completely removed, leaving only in her underwear, I can't help but stare at her sexy body. Perverted thoughts are filling my mind now. Damn! Damn!

I should control myself. I want to do this with Lucy, but not in this situation. I don't want this to happen while we're both drunk. And I don't want us to do something we'd regret later on. I stood up from the bed, went to the bathroom and started to fill the tub with water. I was waiting for the tub to fill up when Lucy suddenly came inside, and hugged me from behind. I felt her warm, sweaty palms against my bare chest.

"H-hey! Lucy-"

"Jellal-nii, you're so sexy . . ." she whispered.

What the hell is she saying? Is that the effect of being drunk?

"Lucy, if you hug me like that I'm going to do something to you." I warned her.

"What? You already kissed me." she said, still hugging me.

"Not that. Something that only married couples should do."

"Then marry me." She simply said.

I laughed softly. I really like what she is saying now, but I know it's just the liquor talking. "Tell me that after you soak and return to your right state of mind."

"Okay." She said and started taking off her underwear. I suddenly turned to look away. Shit! She really doesn't know what she's doing!

"Lucy, don't just strip in front me! I'm really going to do something-"

"But you said to soak in the tub. Come with me here. I wish Gray-nii and Natsu-nii are here too." She said as she stepped in the tub, completely naked. If Natsu were with her now instead of me, he'd probably take advantage of the situation instantly, drunk or not, no questions asked.

"What? Why do you want them to be here too?" I asked in confusion.

"Because Mira said that I don't need to choose between the three of you."

"Why do you believe in her? You have to choose only one, you know? And I have no plans to share you with anyone, even if it's Gray and Natsu. You're mine." I firmly said to her.

"But Gray-nii is the kindest of the three. I think I like him." She mumbled and she closed her eyes while she soaked. "But I like Natsu-nii too, he's very sweet."

"You're really making me jealous now. I'm the one here with you, I'm the one you kissed but you're thinking about other men." I know this talk is nonsense because she doesn't know what she's saying, but I don't want her mentioning that she likes other guys.

"Jellal-nii . . . Come here." She said and she stretched her arm, trying to reach me. I walked closer and held her hand.

"Your mind's not hazy anymore?" I asked. "Can you think properly now?"

"Scrub my back." She just said. I sweat dropped. She's bossy when drunk, I kinda like it.

"Okay, Princess." I said and I smiled. Then I scrubbed her back gently. Her skin is so soft. I wonder if she will let me scrub her sexy, creamy legs too. I want to suddenly grope her right now. Damn I'm getting perverted again.

And then out of the blue, she suddenly turned to face me. What the hell?! I almost touched her breasts! I think I'm having a severe nosebleed now!

"It's my turn." She said.

"What?!" I asked, startled. (And checking if my nose is bleeding)

"It's my turn to scrub your back. Strip and get in here." She commanded. Damn it, her bossiness is turning me on.

"Don't just go ordering a guy to strip in front of you and join you in the bathtub!" I said.

"Fine. I'll just let Natsu-nii and Gray-nii join me."

"Okay, I'll let you scrub my back! But I can't strip in front of you, okay?"

"Why?" she asked.

"Why, you ask? Because you'll see my- " Oops. I can't say it. And once I strip, I will be saying goodbye to my patience and Lucy will be saying goodbye to her innocence. And one thing more, I don't have any protection with me!

"Hey, you don't need to yell at me. You stingy brother." She pouted. "Then just join me here."

"No." I firmly answered.

"Okay. Lift me up, I can't stand."

"Just a while ago you walked inside the bathroom!" I yelled, but in a lower voice.

"But my knees suddenly felt weak. Lift me up please Jellal-nii!" she said as she started to drain the water from the tub. Just one more and I'm really going to think that she's doing this intentionally to seduce me.

"You know you're naked, right?" I said.

"Then turn off the lights."

I walked and switched off the lights in the bathroom. It's completely dark now.

"Lift me up now. Then carry me to the bed. I'm sleepy." She whispered as I walked back to her.

"Dry yourself first with a towel and wear something."

"You do it. You dry me."

"Hey, you're treating me like a personal butler!"

"Why are you so mad . . . I thought you're going to marry me."

"Of course, but I'll do it after we get married. I'll bathe with you and soak with you in the bathtub, I'll scrub your back, and I'll even scrub your front, whichever part of the body you want. But not now, because if I didn't manage to control myself from doing something to you, we might become parents even before we get married, which is not a good idea." I explained.

Lucy didn't respond. Is she mad at me? Oh, not now please. Not after we have shared a passionate kiss just a while ago!

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.

.

I suddenly felt Lucy embrace me tight, and she's still naked!

"Wow, Mira's right Jellal-nii. You're so romantic!" she squealed. I felt my cheeks getting warm; it's the first time she called me romantic. But still, she shouldn't do this so casually! I know that it's dark and I can't see anything, but I can feel it! My self-control is starting to disappear now!

"Lucy, I really love it when you always hug me, but don't just hug me casually when you're wearing nothing! And you're still wet! Damn it Lucy! Do you have any idea what you're making me feel now?!"

"What?" she just asked.

"You're making me . . . uh, you know . . . Damn it! Never mind, dry yourself now!" I yelled as I distanced myself from Lucy, reached for the towel and threw it to her. I keep reminding myself not to do something inappropriate, although my mind is full of dirty thoughts.

"I know you can walk now, so do everything on your own. I'm going to sleep." I just said, and walked out of the bathroom. My heart can't stop beating so fast ever since that kiss. I need to calm down, so I lied down on the bed and closed my eyes.

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.

Few minutes later, I felt Lucy lie down beside me. I opened my eyes. I saw her lying on her side, but her back is facing me. Thankfully she is dressed now. But I also noticed that she's at the far end of the bed, as if distancing herself from me.

"Lucy?" I spoke. But she didn't answer. I crawled near her to see if she's already asleep, but she's just staring at a blank space.

"Lucy? Is something wrong?" I asked worriedly. Then she suddenly covered her face with her palms, as if feeling ashamed.

"Sorry for acting like that in front of you Jellal-nii. I can't face you know. I'm just drunk that I didn't know what I'm doing or saying. I'm really sorry. Please forget everything I said and did a while ago. I just realized my mistake now. I'm so out of my mind that I really did shameless things to my brother." She whispered sadly, not bothering to look at me.

"No! Don't worry too much about it! It's okay! I know that you're drunk so it's nothing to me." I immediately responded.

"No, it's not okay. I'm a girl; I should act properly in front of a guy, especially my brother. I'm really sorry, Jellal-nii. I won't do it ever again." She continued.

"But I'm not your brother, remember? We aren't blood-related."

"You'll always be a big brother to me."

"What do you mean? Don't you love me?"

"I don't know . . I don't know if what I'm feeling for you is love. It's so confusing."

"Then I'll do everything to make you fall in love with me." I whispered. I held her hand and kissed it. "Let's sleep now, don't worry about it. We'll be finally going home tomorrow, aren't you excited?"

"I am. I miss Gray-nii and Natsu-nii. I want to see them soon."

"Me, too. Even if they're always fighting, it's not fun without them. Do you agree?"

"I agree."

"So, let's sleep now, my Princess?"

"Okay. Goodnight Jellal-nii."

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.

.

**~Next Day~ (Sunday)**

I woke up with a slight headache, damn hangover. I turned to my side and saw that Lucy is still asleep. I looked at the time; it's nine in the morning. By the way, what time will we go back to Magnolia? I forgot to ask Lucy last night. All I know is it will be in the afternoon. Well, whatever, I bet the others are still asleep because they're still partying when we left.

I stared at Lucy's sleeping face. If we got married in the future, I'll be waking up every morning with her beside me. I'll be forever staring at her face until she wakes up. Crap, what am I imagining? I'm acting like a love struck teenage boy. I want to laugh at myself. But, it may be true, since I'm madly in love with her. I've been in love with her for as long as I can remember, and I'm always falling in love with the same person over and over again. I love her so much that when we grow old, I don't want her to die first, because surely, I would die the next day. And in our next life, I still want her to be the girl I'll fall in love with, no matter how many next lives we have. She's my first love, and she will also be the last, with no other one in between.

I touched Lucy's cheek, and lightly pinched it. She didn't flinch; maybe she's still in a deep sleep. I smiled and I slowly kissed her pink lips.

"Good morning my Princess." I whispered in a very low voice. "I love you."

I continued to stare at her, ran my fingers through her soft, blonde hair, and caressed her cheek for what I think was 30 minutes long until she finally opened her eyes and woke up.

"Jellal-nii?"

"Good morning. How are you feeling?" I asked her.

"My head hurts."

"Want me to call room service to give us some aspirin and water?" I asked and she nodded. So I called the room service, and then it arrived few minutes later.

"Still hurts?" I asked her after she took the medicine.

"A little bit." She answered.

"Let's sleep some more, it will make you feel a lot better."

"Okay. Thank you Jellal-nii."

"I don't want you to drink again. Do you understand?"

"Yes, I'm sorry."

"It's okay. Come closer to me Lucy. I want to hold you and stay like this until we get back. This is my last chance to be alone with you today."

"Jellal-nii, you're really romantic." She whispered as she came closer to me. It's the second time she said that to me. I suddenly felt my heart race.

"Yeah, but only when I'm with you. I'm not like this with everyone else, it's just you." I said, and I saw her blush a bright red.

"Are you finally falling in love with me?" I asked her jokingly.

"W-what? O-of course not!" she quickly answered. But her nervousness is showing. She's cute when trying to hide her embarrassment.

"Okay, if you say so. Let's sleep?" I asked her and she nodded. I held her closer to my chest.

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.

.

**~Back to Magnolia~**

We finally reached Magnolia at 2 in the afternoon. Lucy said her goodbyes to her friends, and even to their boyfriends. I even saw Lyon wink at her. Damn that Lyon, I won't let him hit on Lucy again.

When we got home, the twins suddenly jumped at Lucy, hugging her. They obviously missed her so much. I just smiled.

"Gray-nii, Natsu-nii, wait! Don't hug me too much!" She said.

"Why? We missed you!"

"Are you making moves on me?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

The twins looked at each other, puzzled.

"She already knows the truth." I just said to them.

"WHAT?!" they chorused. "WHY?!"

"My tongue slipped." I simply answered. I can't tell them I got jealous of some guy, got mad and confessed my love to her that made me tell the truth.

"Are you mad at us Lucy?" Natsu asked her.

"Hmm. Not really." She just answered.

"Thank God!" Natsu said and hugged her again.

"Hey, you hugged her twice now Natsu!" Gray yelled.

"So what? I can hug her as many times as I want." Retorted Natsu.

"It's my turn now! Get away Flamethrower!" and Gray forcefully removed Natsu's arm from Lucy, snatching her away.

"You want me to punch you Popsicle?!"

"Try it if you can!"

"Wait! Gray-nii, Natsu-nii, I missed you too both, but I'm tired right now. Let me rest first okay?" Lucy stopped their fight.

"Let her rest, Gray, Natsu." I just said to them.

"Want me to stay beside you while you rest?" Natsu asked.

"No, it should be me!" Gray yelled.

"For now, I want to rest alone. Please?" Lucy said. Then the twins finally quieted down.

"Don't disturb me okay? Natsu-nii, Gray-nii? And Jellal-nii too!" she spoke while grinning. And she entered her room, locking the door.

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"How's the resort?" Gray asked me.

"It's very nice. We should all come there someday." I answered.

"Did you see Lucy in a swimsuit?" Natsu asked curiously.

"Of course. Why?" I asked back.

"Nothing, damn. I want to see her too!" he blurted.

"Just keep your perverted thoughts to yourself!" Gray yelled at him.

"I know you want to see her too!" Natsu yelled back.

"So what? At least I keep it to myself." Gray answered.

"Stop it, you two. Lucy might hear you." I whispered. "Okay, I want a rest too. Gray, you prepare the dinner later okay?" I continued, and then he just nodded. I went back to my room and jumped on the bed. I don't want the twins to notice that yesterday and today are two of the best days of my life. I closed my eyes and drifted to sleep with a smile.

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**~Next Day~ (Monday)**

**Lucy POV**

The four of us are walking towards the Academy when the twins suddenly spoke.

"Lucy, can we have lunch together today? Only the two of us."

"Huh? What's with the two of you so suddenly, Natsu-nii, Gray-nii?" I asked in surprise.

"Hey, I asked her first, Natsu!" Gray-nii yelled.

"No, I asked her first!" Natsu-nii yelled back.

"Wait, then why don't we all just have lunch together? Let's include Jellal-nii." I said.

"No, just you and me, Lucy." Gray-nii responded.

"Why? You have something to tell me Gray-nii?" I asked.

"Yes, and it's very important." He answered.

"No, have lunch with me Lucy, not with Popsicle." Natsu-nii spoke again.

"I asked her first Ashtray!"

"Why don't you decide by Rock-Paper-Scissors?" Jellal-nii suddenly butted in.

"That's a good idea Jellal-nii! Okay, I'll have lunch with whoever wins the first try." I declared.

"I won't lose to you, Flame brain." Gray-nii whispered.

"Huh, as if I'll let you win!" Natsu-nii replied.

.

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"YES! I won!" the winner screamed.

* * *

_**A/N: Guess who won? Heehee. Now that they're back in Magnolia, get ready for the coming GrayLu and NaLu moments! (Possibly steamy ones too. ;))**_

_**So now, we all found out that Jellal is a closet pervert. (Is that the correct term?)Calm outside, but when he's alone with Lucy, a lot of inappropriate thoughts are running inside his mind. Heehee. But, what about Natsu and Gray? We'll know it in the future chapters! ;) **_

_**I really want to apologize, because I'm always getting caught up with a pairing moment I'm writing. I initially plan a pairing moment to be short, but I always end up writing more, and when I'm not really planning for it to be steamy, it ends up being steamy. *sobs* So please forgive me! Some may not like it, but I hope some will still like my writing style. ;)So, thank you to all who still liked and loved my story!**_


	15. Chapter 15

**My Annoying Brothers**

"Congratulations, Natsu-nii." I said.

"Damn that Natsu." Gray-nii blurted in irritation.

"Don't worry Gray-nii, you'll be next tomorrow." I comforted him.

"Yeah, I know. That Flame brain just got lucky today." He replied.

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**~Lunch break~**

I walked up to Natsu-nii outside the classroom; we will be having lunch together. I told the girls that I won't be with them because I'll have lunch with my brother. As usual, they keep teasing me again, because they already know that I'm not blood-related to my three older brothers. They're also betting on who I'd choose between the three of them. Sigh. I wish they would already stop. Their teasing just keeps me self-conscious. They're also guessing that Natsu-nii will finally make his love confession today that's why he wants to have lunch with me alone. I really don't understand the crazy minds of my friends!

"Let's sit here Lucy." Natsu-nii chose a table from the far end of the cafeteria, where only few students sit. Why did he choose here? Is it really important that he don't want anyone to hear what we'll talk about?

"Okay, so what do you want to talk about, Natsu-nii?" I asked as I started to eat my lunch.

"I love you." He simply said. I choked.

"Hey Lucy, are you alright?" he asked as he let me drink from the glass of water.

"Natsu-nii! Don't joke so suddenly like that!" I said, still coughing.

"I'm sorry!" he apologized immediately. "But I'm not joking Lucy. I don't want to beat around the bush; I want to tell it to you straight. I love you, not just as a sister."

"But, Natsu-nii. You have a girlfriend right now; don't just go saying I love you to two girls at the same time. It's bad to cheat." I said.

"I never said I love you to other girls. I always say I like them, but not love. Actually, this is the first time I confessed to a girl that I love her. And don't worry about my girlfriend; I'm going to break up with her." He spoke. My heart suddenly pounded hard. First, Jellal-nii, now Natsu-nii! Damn, what's happening to my brothers? Don't tell me, Gray-nii also?

"But, Natsu-nii . . ."

"I know that you see me as a playboy brother, always flirting with girls around. But I'm serious with what I feel for you. I'll prove it to you, I promise. And if you want to know when I started to feel this way for you, it's been many years ago. I just didn't tell you because you still didn't know the truth. I've had countless girlfriends so that you wouldn't notice anything. But now that you already know the truth, I won't hold back. I won't hide my feelings anymore. Lucy, the other girls don't matter to me now. I'm not interested in playing around anymore. You're all I need." He explained. I don't know what to say. I'm really confused now. Natsu-nii is confessing his love to me so straightforward, and he's blushing madly.

" . . . " I don't know what to say!

"Lucy?" Natsu-nii whispered.

"I'm sorry Natsu-nii, it's not that I don't like you, but this is too sudden. I don't even know how to react." I spoke.

"It's okay. I'm not rushing you to be my girlfriend or marry me all of a sudden. But, please allow me to woo you properly. I may be a pervert skirt-chaser, but when it comes to you, I won't do anything inappropriate or anything you don't like. I took advantage of your kindness a lot of times before, but it will be different now, since I have confessed to you. You can even punish me now if you want."

"Don't say that Natsu-nii! You know I can't do that. And if you want to woo me, I won't stop you. But you know that I still see you as my brother, right?" I replied.

"Yeah, I know that. I'll still be your brother whatever may happen. But, I want you to see me as a man too." He said.

"Uhm . . . I'll try, Natsu-nii."

"I want you to call me Natsu whenever we're not at home. You'll always see me as a brother if you still call me that even when we're outside."

"But-"

"You'll get used to it eventually. So starting today, call me Natsu. Okay?"

"Uhm, okay. Let's eat, Natsu?" I said. It felt very different when I called him by his name alone.

"Okay, Lucy." He said, and smiled. Crap! Why did he become cute so suddenly? I didn't know that he's cute when smiling. Oh no, what am I thinking?

.

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After we had lunch, Natsu-nii accompanied me back to my classroom. When I got back, I saw my friends waiting for me. Surely, they're just waiting for me to tell them the 'juicy details' about my lunch with him.

"So, what did Natsu-senpai talk to you about?" Mira asked straight out, obviously curious.

"Nothing. He just wants to have lunch with me." I lied.

"Liar! We were watching you from a distance just a while ago, you know? Natsu-senpai confessed to you, right? He's blushing while talking to you during lunch." Cana said.

"Fine, you win." I just gave up. They really figure out everything so easily. I can't win to them. And now, they're all fangirling. Our other classmates are already giving us weird looks because of their squeals. Even Sting. Damn, I forgot that Sting gave me one month to think about eloping with him. No, nothing will go wrong. I know my brothers will protect me.

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The girls were still fangirling when Rufus-sensei suddenly entered the classroom. It's already time for our History class.

"Good afternoon, students!" Rufus-sensei greeted.

"Good afternoon Sensei!" we greeted back.

"The girls are in high spirits today. What could be the reason?" asked Sensei while smiling.

"Sensei, Lucy has been-" I quickly covered Cana's mouth before she can finish her sentence.

"Lucy? You mean Fernandes-san? She has been what?" Rufus-sensei asked curiously.

"It's nothing Sensei!" I responded.

"Oh. Okay then." He just said. "By the way I'll be returning your graded test papers from the quiz last time." And Rufus-sensei gave our test papers individually. When he gave me my paper, I saw that something was written on the far right side of the paper. 'You're still beautiful, Lucy.' It said, in Rufus-sensei's handwriting. I glanced at Rufus-sensei, and then he smiled at me. I borrowed the test paper of the girl sitting in front of me to see if something was written too. But there's nothing. It's confusing; I think he really knows me. But I don't recall meeting him before. He's really mysterious.

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When it's finally time to go home, Gray-nii was already waiting for me, and he's alone. I wonder where's Natsu-nii?

"Gray-nii, why are you alone? Where is-"

"He said that he has to do something." Gray-nii answered without letting me finish my question.

"O-okay. Let's go?" I said. Then we started walking.

After we got out of the school gates, Gray-nii suddenly held my hand, which surprised me.

"Gray-nii?" I asked, puzzled.

"I just want to hold your hand. It's like we're a couple, right?" he said, smiling.

I don't know why, but my heart suddenly started beating rapidly. I feel my cheeks burning.

"Lucy, now that you discovered that I'm not really your brother, will you finally accept to have a relationship with me?" he asked out of the blue.

"H-huh?! Uhm . . . But, you know . . ." I just said, I don't even know what I'm going to say.

"I won't hurt you. I won't make you cry. I won't break your heart." He simply said. He didn't tell me 'I love you', but those words made my heart beat more rapidly. Damn, my mind is blank now!

"Uhm . . . Gray-nii . . ."

"Want to go on a date now?" he asked with a naughty smile.

"Where?" I asked back.

"Anywhere."

"Jellal-nii and Natsu might look for us."

"Natsu? When did you start calling him just by his name?" he asked curiously.

"During lunch break. He told me to call him that way."

"He confessed to you?" he asked again.

"Y-yeah . . ." I answered honestly.

"I won't lose to him." He said and held both my hands with his. "I'll make you choose me. And I'll make sure you won't regret that you chose me." He said while looking straight into my eyes. I think I'm going to melt now.

"So, let's go on a date?" he continued. I nodded. I really can't refuse Gray-nii. He gently squeezed my hand and pulled me closer to him. "First, let's ride the train and go to Hargeon. Is it okay?"

"Uhm . . . I guess so. . . Since you invited me, you'll decide how our date goes. And I haven't gone on a date before." I answered shyly.

"I know." He said, grinning. "So it means I'm your first date. Just think of me now as your boyfriend, until we get home."

We walked towards the train station still holding each other's hands. It really feels like we're a couple. But it's kind of awkward because we're still in our school uniforms, and someone in my class or his class might see us.

When we finally reached inside the train, it's a bit crowded. Gray-nii tried to find a space enough for the two of us to sit on, but what he found was enough only for a single person. He sat, and signaled me to sit on his lap. I sat on his lap with my right side facing him. His gestures really make me feel like I'm his girlfriend. A train ride to Hargeon is quite a long route; does it mean I'll be sitting on his lap the whole train ride? Just thinking about it makes me blush. I'm getting butterflies in my stomach now, especially that Gray-nii's left arm is wrapped around my waist, while his right hand is holding my hand. I don't know if he already noticed I've been blushing the whole time.

"Lucy?" he whispered to me.

"Hmm?" I asked without looking at him. I don't want him to see that I'm so red, I'm all embarrassed now!

"I wish we could stay like this forever." He whispered softly, hugging me a bit tighter. Damn it Gray-nii, I'm trying so hard not to blush but you're making me blush more!

"Y-yeah . . ." I just agreed.

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.

After that long train ride, we finally reached Hargeon. We exited the train station, his hand not letting go of mine.

"So, where will we go, Gray-nii?" I asked him.

"I'm thinking of going somewhere fun, like an amusement park. What do you think?"

"I like that!" I answered excitedly. Yeah, I'm really a child sometimes. No, most of the time actually.

"Okay, then let's go." He said happily and we walked not too far away to a popular amusement park in Hargeon. We went in, and then Gray-nii paid our tickets.

"Which of the rides and attractions do you want to try first?" he asked.

"I want the Ferris wheel!" I exclaimed.

"Not that. Choose another." He said.

"Why? I really want to experience riding it, Gray-nii!" I cried.

"That will be our last ride. They say it creates a romantic moment between lovers, so I want to save the best for last." He replied. Romantic moment? I don't know if I'm nervous or excited about that. What I know is that my heart keeps on pounding hard in my chest.

"Then, what do you have in mind?" I asked him.

"How about the Haunted Mansion?"

"What? I'm scared of ghosts Gray-nii!"

"Then just stay close and hold on to me."

"But . . ."

"Don't worry. I won't leave you. I promise."

"Okay. If you try to leave me in the middle, I'm going to die! And my soul will get revenge from you!" I warned him.

"Why would I leave you? I won't even let you get a centimeter away from me." He said.

"I just want to be sure." I replied.

"You can always be sure with me. Don't you trust me?" he asked.

"I do."

"Good. So let's go now." he said, wrapping his arm around my shoulder. And then we slowly walked inside.

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.

.

We successfully got out of the Haunted Mansion. However, I was just burying my face in Gray-nii's chest the whole time! I'm stuck to him like glue. He was practically carrying me while he's walking, because it's dark, and I don't want to see the ghosts and monsters appearing on our path. They're just suddenly coming out from above, left, right, even below our feet.

"I told you! I don't want to go there! I thought I'm going to die!" I cried.

"Yeah, you're a real scaredy cat, Lucy." Gray-nii teased.

"Stop teasing me now! You did it on purpose, didn't you?" I asked him in anger.

"What do you mean?" he asked back.

"You just want to tease and embarrass me today!"

"Of course not! We're having a date today, right? Why would I do that?"

"Because you know that I'm scared of ghosts, but you insisted on going inside the Haunted Mansion."

"Well, you asked me what's on my mind right? Don't get mad at me now Lucy. And did I leave you inside even for a single second?"

"No."

"I kept my promise, see?"

"Yeah. Sorry for clinging too much on you. I know you had a hard time walking because of me."

"Not at all. I'm actually happy you're clinging on to me the whole time."

"Why?"

"Because I felt that you don't want to ever let me go. And you need me so badly that you'll die if we part even for just a second."

I felt my cheeks get hot. I'm embarrassed and flattered at the same time.

"Lucy, you're blushing." Gray-nii said and pinched my cheek. "It's too early to be blushing now; the date is just getting started."

"It's your fault Gray-nii! You're making me blush!" I blamed him.

"I'm just telling the truth Lucy. Knowing that the person you love can't live without you is the best feeling a person can have." He explained.

"But, it's still your fault." I repeated.

He chuckled. "Okay, it's my fault. So how about we have a snack first to calm you down before continuing the rides?" and I just nodded. So we went to a food stand to have a quick snack.

We continued to try different attractions like Old Mill, Pirate Ship, even Bumper Cars and Carousel. Sometimes, we're like a couple, sometimes, we're like kids playing around. I never thought that having a date is this fun. Or maybe it depends on who you're with?

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After trying the rides, we sat on a bench to rest a bit before going to our last ride, the Ferris wheel.

"Did you enjoy it?" Gray-nii asked me while still holding my hand.

"Yes! Very much! Thank you Gray-nii for taking me on a fun date like this." I replied happily.

"The best part of the date is yet to come, Lucy." He said as he caressed my cheek and gazed at me intently with his dark blue eyes. My heart suddenly jumped at his intense gaze.

"Uhm . . . Yeah, you're right." I answered shyly.

"Are you excited?" he asked in a low voice.

"Yes, very excited." I whispered.

"Me, too." He replied.

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"Oh, it's a surprise to see you here, Gray. Long time, no see. Is she my replacement?" we suddenly heard a woman's voice. We turned to see a dark-purple haired woman with intimidating eyes.

"Ultear?" Gray-nii spoke with a shocked expression.


	16. Chapter 16

**My Annoying Brothers**

"Ultear?" Gray-nii spoke with a shocked expression.

"Hi, Gray. Would you mind introducing me to your new girl?" the woman said.

Gray-nii roughly ran his hand through his messy black hair and then spoke.

"Ultear, this is Lucy. You already know her, right?"

"Oh . . . Lucy, your little sister! Yeah, now that I think about it, I actually remember her, I saw her when I went to your house. Hi there Lucy, remember me?" she greeted.

"Uhm . . . Sorry, but I don't really remember every girl my brothers are taking home." I honestly answered.

"That's so bad. By the way, I'm Ultear Milkovich. I'm his ex-girlfriend. We broke up more than a week ago." She explained. So, she was the one who broke Gray-nii's phone and accused him of cheating? She's kind of scary when jealous.

"H-hello, Ultear-san." I timidly greeted her.

"You don't have to be so formal! You can just call me Ultear." She said while shaking my hand. I just smiled awkwardly at her.

"Why are you here?" Gray-nii suddenly asked Ultear.

"I have a date. But it's nothing serious. You can still come back to me if you want." She answered with a flirty voice. It kind of irritated me.

"Sorry, but I have no plans of coming back to you. I have a date with Lucy today." He said in a deadpanned voice. "Lucy, let's go?" he said as he stood up from the bench and pulled my hand.

"Uh . . . Okay." I replied.

"You have a date with your sister? I see, you can't find someone to replace me yet, that's why you're even taking your sister to dates?" she said in a sarcastic tone.

"I think you've got the wrong idea, Ultear. I'm not taking her to a date out of desperation. To tell you the truth, Lucy and I are not blood-related. And I've been in love with her even before I met you." Gray-nii explained in a serious tone. I got surprised that he said it straight in her face without any hesitation. Ultear's face suddenly turned sour.

"So you're telling me you just used me to fulfill your manly needs?!" she spoke in an angry voice.

"Don't go making up stories Ultear. I know everything. The one you really want is my older brother, Jellal. But he rejected you, so you targeted me, his brother. And you tricked me. You're the one who used me, to get closer to my brother. But I'm thankful that you failed to get him, and I got to break up with you, because all I feel for you now is disgust, Ultear. Anyway, at least you're useful in bed."

"So I've been found out huh?" she just said and smirked. "Too bad, and I've been thinking of playing with you some more, since you have the best performance out of all the men I've slept with so far. And to think that you're not real siblings, I can guess you've been fantasizing about her for years, am I right? I guess there's no more use in talking to you and in pursuing you, for now. Someday, I'll get back to you! I just hope that Lucy can satisfy you like the way I did. Bye!" and she walked away.

.

.

.

"Lucy, I'm sorry. Our date is ruined." He apologized to me, his head lowered and his eyes hidden behind his bangs.

"It's okay, Gray-nii. At least, everything has been cleared between the two of you, right?" I said.

"But you saw me in a humiliating and nonsense argument with my ex. And she said those shameful words."

"It's completely nothing to me Gray-nii! Let's just forget it and pretend it never happened. She said that she won't pursue you, although it's just for now. But I think she'll forget about you eventually."

"Yeah, I guess you're right. Thank you Lucy." He said and kissed me on the forehead. "You're an understanding girl."

"Let's go to the Ferris wheel now!" I said excitedly as I pulled his hand.

"Okay, okay. You're really a child." Gray-nii teased me.

"Whatever you say, I'm still riding it!" I responded.

.

.

.

"Wow, the Ferris wheel here is so big!" I exclaimed.

"I heard that one full ride here takes at least 20 minutes." Gray-nii said.

"That's quite long! I'm really excited!" I said happily.

"So, let's get in?" he asked. I nodded in excitement.

When we finally got inside and sat down, my heart is beating rapidly. The ride hasn't started yet, but my eyes are already sparkling. Gray-nii suddenly held my hand.

"You're obviously full of happiness now, Lucy." He said.

"Yes! I've always wanted to ride a Ferris wheel. Gray-nii, thank you, really!" I said and I hugged him.

"I always want to see you happy, because it makes me happy too." He said.

"You're really kind. I'm so lucky to have a brother like you, although we're not real siblings."

"No, I'm the lucky one to have a sister like you. But I will be luckier if you become my girl." Gray-nii whispered to me while he lightly brushed my bangs to the side of my face.

"Gray-nii . . ." I just said. I seem to be lost in his gaze.

The ride has started. I quickly peeked at the window to see the beautiful view. Although the Ferris wheel is moving slowly, I can't help but be amazed of what I see. It's so breathtaking!

"Wow! Look! It's so beautiful!" I exclaimed to him.

"You're more beautiful." He whispered softly. My heart suddenly jumped.

"Gray-nii, you're getting me startled." I said. He suddenly wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me closer.

"Lucy, you're the most beautiful girl my eyes ever laid upon. I love your eyes, I love your nose, I love your lips, I love your hair, I love your smell, I love your smile, I love your childishness, I love your stubbornness, I love your moodiness, I love your clumsiness, I love your carelessness, I love your flaws, I love everything about you. I love you. If you become mine, I'll make you happy every single moment we spend together. And I'll never ever make you cry." I thought I'm going to faint after I lost count of how many times he said that he loves every single part of me. His gaze is already melting me. He said that he'll never make me cry, but I feel like crying now.

"Lucy, I want you to be mine. I so badly want you to be mine." He whispered. He then kissed me slowly on the forehead, on the tip of my nose, and on each cheek; he lifted my chin slowly and finally kissed me on the lips. His kiss is very slow, but very sweet. He then held my hand and intertwined his fingers to mine. I don't know why, but I'm feeling extremely happy.

"You're very gentle." I whispered after our lips parted, but our noses still touching.

"If I get rough on you, you'll get hurt. And I promised not to hurt you. But if you want me to get rough, I guess I have no choice." He whispered back with a naughty smile.

"So everything depends on me?" I asked.

"Of course, your happiness is what's important. So I'll be as gentle to you as I can. I don't want you to think that I'm just taking advantage of you."

"Then what if I told you to get rough on me?" I asked again.

"I'll do it, but after you become mine." He answered. "And I guarantee you, even if I get rough, you'll like it."

"You're making me curious now, Gray-nii."

"Then choose me now."

"But . . ."

"It's okay Lucy. I can wait. Even if it takes a year or more before you decide, I'll wait patiently for you."

"Really?"

"Yes. And after you become mine, I'll make you regret you didn't choose me much sooner. I'll make sure that we make up for the time you made me wait." Gray-nii whispered again with his naughty smile.

"H-hey! What's that supposed to mean?" I asked in confusion.

"Secret." He just said.

"You're unfair Gray-nii!"

"Well, sorry for being unfair." He said and kissed me again on the lips. His kisses are really sweet. For the rest of the ride, he kissed me repeatedly, and said 'I love you' repeatedly, without letting go of my hand. I was nervous and happy at the same time. I don't know if this is what they call falling in love?

After that, Gray-nii decided to buy a souvenir of our first date, so he bought a cute, little teddy bear, small enough to fit in my pocket.

"This is so cute!" I said to him.

"Of course, I chose that for you. But if we become a real couple, I'll buy you a much bigger teddy bear. Maybe the same height as you." he responded.

"Wow, really?"

"Of course, I promise that." He said as he gently pinched my cheek. "Let's go home, Lucy?"

"Okay! Thank you for making me happy today."

"Thank you too, Lucy. You don't know how much you made me happy too."

We went to the train station and rode back to Magnolia, and then we walked home.

.

.

.

When we got inside the house, Natsu-nii and Jellal-nii are already waiting for us.

"Where did you go?" Natsu-nii asked right off the bat.

"We went on a date, got a problem?" Gray-nii answered quickly.

"So you want to get ahead of me that quickly huh?" he asked again.

"So what if I do? I just took every chance I got."

"I won't let you get ahead of me, Ice Cube."

"As if I'd let you, Ash Tray."

"You should've told us beforehand, Gray. I know that we shouldn't worry because she's with you, but you can at least tell where you went and what time you'll be home." Jellal-nii suddenly spoke.

"Sorry. I just missed her, and I want to spend time with her." Gray-nii apologized.

"Please, don't be mad at him. It's partly my fault too!" I interrupted.

"No, Lucy. Don't blame yourself." Gray-nii said to me.

"But-"

"I'm not mad at anyone, Lucy. We just got a bit worried because the both of you haven't gone home yet. But everything's okay now. So don't worry anymore." Jellal-nii explained as he patted my head and smiled.

"I'm sorry." I just said.

"Lucy, don't be sad! I just got worried that something might have happened to you. But I'm relieved now that you're home and nothing happened." Natsu-nii comforted me and hugged me gently.

"Thank you." I just answered and smiled.

"Okay. Let's have dinner now. The food is waiting." Jellal-nii said. Then we ate dinner as usual like nothing happened.

.

.

.

When I was about to go to sleep, I heard a knock on the door. When I opened it, it was Natsu-nii.

"Natsu-nii, do you need something?" I asked.

"I want to talk to you, is it okay?" he said.

"Of course, come inside." And I let him enter my room.

We sat on my bed, and I waited for him to speak.

"Lucy, can we go out this Saturday?" he asked. He really is straightforward, it surprised me.

"Uhm . . . Okay. But where are we going?" I asked back.

"It's a surprise. You'll know when we get there." He answered with a smile.

"Your smile is kind of suspicious, Natsu-nii." I said. Well, since it's a surprise, I don't know if he's planning to scare me or play a prank on me. I trust him, but I'm just thinking of other possibilities.

"I'm not going to do something perverted! I promise!" he quickly spoke.

I laughed. He thought that I'm thinking he'll do something perverted? Natsu-nii is so funny!

"Haha! That's not what I'm thinking Natsu-nii! You're weird and funny at the same time, you know? I'm just thinking that you might play a prank on me because you said it's a surprise." I said as I put my hand over his.

"Really? You got me nervous there." He said as he sighed in relief. "I promise I won't play a prank on you, or do anything that you wouldn't like."

"By the way, what did you do after school? You're not with Gray-nii when he fetched me." I asked curiously.

"I just finished some important matters, and made a little arrangement about my surprise for you. I didn't expect Gray to take that opportunity and ask you out on a date. But, it doesn't matter anyway. It's my turn to show you how serious I am with my feelings, and I'll show him I'm more worthy to be chosen by you." he said in serious voice. I suddenly blushed. Natsu-nii is so sweet, and I can see the sincerity in his eyes.

"Uhm . . . Well, I'm looking forward to it, Natsu-nii." I said to him, smiling.

"It's not that lavish or splendid, just a simple surprise, and I want to spend time with you alone. I mean, literally alone, with no other people seeing us. Actually, I haven't given a surprise to a girl, so I'm still not confident of what my mind came up. I don't know if you can call it a date, but I hope you'll like it Lucy." He responded and smiled too.

"Natsu-nii, you're cute." I suddenly blurted out my thoughts. Damn.

"Lucy, don't say that. . . I might kiss you all of a sudden. And not just like the kiss we had last time." Natsu-nii whispered. "I can't make a move on you when we're at home. Actually, all three of us shouldn't make moves on you at home. That's what the three of us talked about today, because when we're inside the house, we should still be siblings. Jellal-nii said that to give respect to our parents. We agreed that we can only court you when we're outside the house." He continued.

"What? You're talking things about that?" I said in shock. I never expected that they're talking important matters behind my back.

"Yeah, sorry if we didn't tell you. But now, you already know."

"Uhm . . . Okay. Thank you for telling me, Natsu-nii."

"You're welcome. By the way Lucy, on Saturday we'll be out all day. So you better sleep early on Friday, I want you to have as much energy as possible." He added.

"Are we going to do some tiring activities?" I asked eagerly.

"Maybe . . . It's a surprise, you know?" he answered, grinning.

"The curiosity is now killing me . . ." I whispered.

"Haha, don't think about it too much, Lucy. But I guarantee you, it's worth the wait. And yeah, you might even need to bring some change of clothes."

"Okay. You're really making me more curious now, Natsu-nii. And I'm kind of getting excited." I said.

"I'm excited too. Very excited." He replied. "Okay, now I already told you everything I wanted to tell. We should sleep now."

We stood up and I walked him to the doorway. "Good night Lucy." He said and kissed me on the forehead.

"Good night Natsu-nii." I answered and kissed him on the cheek. He suddenly blushed.

"Lucy, I won't be able to sleep now." he said.

"Huh? Why?" I asked in confusion.

"Your kiss made me awake." He answered.

"Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't know!" I immediately apologized.

"It's okay. Maybe I'll fall asleep eventually, but I'll be dreaming about you." he said. My heart suddenly pounded hard. I think I'm redder now than Natsu-nii.

"W-what are you saying!"

"I'm saying what's on my mind." He just answered.

"Hey! How can you say such embarrassing things so casually?!" I said.

"I don't think it's embarrassing, Lucy. And I don't want to lie."

"Fine. You're really weird Natsu-nii."

Then he went to their room. I closed the door and lied down; my heart is still pounding hard. I really want to know what Natsu-nii's surprise is. He said he won't be able to sleep, but I think I'm the one who won't be able to sleep tonight. Damn it, it's your fault Natsu-nii! Suddenly telling me you love me, and then suddenly wanting to surprise me. Aaargghh! I need to sleep now!

.

.

.

**~Next Day~ (Tuesday)**

Today is Gray-nii's turn to have lunch with me. When I told my friends about it, as usual they said the same thing just like yesterday.

"So, it's Gray-senpai's turn to confess!" Mira squealed.

"Sorry to spoil your excitement Mira, but Gray-nii already confessed to me yesterday." I said straight out.

"What? How? Where?" Cana asked suddenly.

"Well . . . He took me on a date yesterday after school. We went to Hargeon." I answered.

"I'm really jealous of Lu-chan now." Levy suddenly spoke.

"Huh? Why?" I asked.

"Why do all the handsome and hot guys go for you? Do you have some secret amulet to make all those guys fall for you? You're unfair."

"What? I don't have any amulet! And it's not like I want all of them to go for me. And wait, are you saying that your boyfriend is not handsome and hot?"

"Of course not. But the guys going for you are in a whole different level. Jellal-senpai, Gray-senpai, Natsu-senpai, Sting-kun, and even Rufus-sensei."

I got surprised. Rufus-sensei? I didn't know it!

"What do you mean, Rufus-sensei?" I curiously asked.

"We already noticed it, Lucy-san, ever since his first day here at the Academy, he gives you those glances, and mysterious smiles. Don't tell me you didn't notice it?" Juvia explained. So they've noticed it too? I thought I'm the only one.

"Maybe you're the ideal girl he told us that he already found." Lisanna spoke.

"Then it means, after Gray-senpai, Rufus-sensei will be the next one to confess." Erza added.

"Huh? Don't say impossible things like that!" I yelled to them.

"You also said that when we told you that your brothers might be in love with you. But, what happened?" Levy said.

I fell silent. They're right. Even though my friends are crazy, their predictions come out correct most of the time. But, Rufus-sensei? I can't imagine it. He's a teacher, I'm a student. He is Sting's half-brother. And he's seven years my senior! That's just impossible in every way!

"Now, that just makes it more difficult to choose, right Lucy?" Mira's voice suddenly brought me back from my deep thoughts.

* * *

_**A/N: Now, it will be Natsu's turn to make moves on Lucy! Heehee. But still, Gray managed to take her on a date first! Poor Natsu!**_

_**Actually, about Ultear entering the scene just suddenly popped into my mind, and I think it wouldn't be a bad idea to give a surprise to you although it's just for a brief moment. Heehee. And I didn't make her a villain here because I hate her, actually, I like her character in Fairy Tail. And I liked her more when she sacrificed the time of her life to save many lives. I just thought about her because she has a close connection to Gray because of Ul. And coincidentally, she also has a connection to Jellal because of Crime Sorcière.  
**_


	17. Chapter 17

**My Annoying Brothers**

"Huh? I still don't have any plans to choose now. And how can I choose if I haven't fallen in love with one of them?" I just answered her.

"You have a point there. But, admit it, it feels heaven being loved by gorgeous guys, am I right?" Mira asked.

"Uhm . . . Well, yeah you can say that." I replied hesitantly.

"I wish I could be in Lucy's shoes even for just a day!" Levy whispered dreamily.

"If you're in her shoes what would you do?" Erza asked Levy.

"If it's me, I'd sleep with all of them!" Cana suddenly butted in.

"Hey! What are you saying Cana!" I screamed. Damn it, it's so embarrassing!

"What? Lucy, this is a once in a blue moon chance. You should grab the opportunity!" Cana responded.

"I can't do that!" I yelled to her.

"You should choose Jellal-senpai." Erza said.

"No, you should choose Gray-senpai." Juvia said next.

"No! Natsu-senpai!" Lisanna then said.

I sweatdropped. Their craziness is so contagious.

.

.

.

**~Lunch Break~**

Gray-nii fetched me from our classroom and we walked, going to the cafeteria. He even held my hand while we walk, which made me nervous. I think I felt some of the students staring at us.

When we began to eat, I asked Gray-nii.

"Uhm . . . Do you think it's okay?"

"What is it?" he asked back.

"The other students might get the wrong idea. Everyone knows that I'm your sister, but you held my hand like I'm your girlfriend." I answered.

"I don't care. They shouldn't bother with other people's business. And they shouldn't judge other people if they know nothing." Gray-nii explained.

"But . . ."

"Do you feel uncomfortable with it?"

"Well, kind of . . ."

"Okay, I'll announce to the whole Academy that we're not biological siblings. That way, they won't get the wrong idea. I don't want ignorant people judging you, Lucy." He said as he held my hand again.

"Thank you." I said and smiled to him. Gray-nii is really kind; his words always warm my heart. No wonder I can always not worry when I'm with him.

"I won't forgive anyone who tries to hurt you. So if anyone or anything is bothering you, don't hesitate to tell it to me. Okay?" he said as he squeezed my hand.

"Uhm, okay. By the way, thank you again for yesterday, and for the cute gift. You really know how to make me happy."

"Of course. I'll do anything to make you happy. Do you want to go on another date? But in a different place."

"Uhm . . . Well . . ."

"Don't worry, it won't be today. I want us to go on another date that we can take our time and not worry about getting home late. So I'll be planning about it first."

"It's up to you Gray-nii. I trust you." I just answered.

"You're making me fall in love with you again, you know?" he whispered. It caught me by surprise that I thought my heart will burst out of my chest.

"Gray-nii! You're making my heart pound!" I yelled in a low voice that only he can hear. I don't know why, but I'm really comfortable telling him that he makes me blush or he makes my heart beat fast. I guess that's how he makes me comfortable that I can be myself when I'm with him.

"I think that's a good sign." He just responded with a grin.

"A good sign of what?" I asked in confusion.

"That you'll be mine." He continued. Now I'm getting redder.

"Hey!"

"Okay, okay. Let's eat now Lucy." He said and grinned again. "Want me to feed you?"

"I'm not a child!"

"I know. I mean, feed you like how a boyfriend feeds his girlfriend."

"People will see us!"

"So what? Didn't I tell you that I don't care what other people think?"

"Yeah, but not now. . ." I shyly answered.

"So you will let me? Someday?" he asked.

"I don't know . . . Maybe. . . "

"Okay. I'll be waiting for it." He said and smiled. I smiled at him too.

"Lucy . . ." he spoke again.

"Hmm?" I responded.

"Thank you for always wearing the bracelet I gave you."

"It's because I love it, and it's a gift from you. You always wear your bracelet too, right?"

"Of course. It's like you're always beside me when I'm wearing this. I even wear this when I sleep at night." Gray-nii said as he looks at the bracelet he's wearing. My heart pounded hard again. I just noticed that Gray-nii has attractive eyes.

"Gray-nii?" I called him.

"What is it, Lucy?" he responded and looked straight into my eyes.

"Uhm . . . Nothing." Damn, I forgot what I want to tell him. It's really the fault of his eyes. I'm getting lost in his gaze.

"Is something bothering you?" he asked.

"No, nothing . . . It's just . . . your eyes." I answered.

"My eyes? Do you like my eyes, Lucy?" he asked again.

"Your eyes are strange." I said to him.

"Strange? We've been seeing each other every day since we were kids. But this is the first time you commented about my eyes."

"Well . . . I just noticed it today."

"Noticed that they're strange?"

"Yeah, but not in a bad way."

"I guess that's a reason for me to be happy. Don't worry Lucy, my eyes will only look at you."

I suddenly felt myself blush. Damn it. I keep on blushing this past few days. Got to blame it to my brothers.

.

.

.

After lunch break, Gray-nii walked me to my classroom and waved goodbye. As usual, my friends are waiting for the 'juicy details'. Sigh, I don't know what to do with them.

My day at the Academy is still the usual. Rufus-sensei still gives me those mysterious smiles and glances, and Sting still keeps on staring at me. I'm really glad that Sting is not doing anything to me again, maybe because he's still waiting for the one month he gave me. By the way, there's still three weeks left before the deadline. I don't know if I should confront him before the deadline and just reject him, or wait until one month has passed. Honestly, I'm still afraid of talking to him alone, because I don't want the same thing to happen again. Even though I used to like him so much since middle school, right now I see him as a totally different person. He wasn't the same Sting I've known years ago. But if he'll ever change and return to his old self, I think I can still forgive him and be friends with him again. I wonder if Rufus-sensei knows that I and Sting knew each other.

.

.

.

**~Saturday Morning~**

I woke up feeling that someone is pinching my cheek. When I opened my eyes, I saw Natsu-nii's smiling face close to mine, and he's pinching my cheeks softly.

"Natsu-nii?" I whispered.

"Good morning Lucy." He greeted me. I slowly got up from the bed.

"What time is it?" I asked.

"It's already nine in the morning." He answered.

Damn, I overslept. No wonder Natsu-nii woke me up. I remembered that we're going out today. It suddenly got me excited.

"I'm sorry Natsu-nii! I overslept. Don't worry I'll change quickly, so just wait for me, okay?" I told him.

"It's okay. Take your time Lucy. We're not in a hurry anyway, and everything is ready." He said and smiled.

"Uhm. Okay. So will you tell me now where we are going?" I asked curiously, hoping that he'd finally answer.

"We're going on a picnic at Shirotsume. You'll know the rest when we get there." He answered, grinning. It really feels suspicious when he's grinning like that. But, I shook off that thought. He already told me he wouldn't do anything that I don't like, and I trust him.

"Okay. I'll just dress up Natsu-nii. You can wait for me downstairs." I told him as I went inside the bathroom to freshen up.

.

.

.

I wore a light-purple sleeveless cotton sundress, I think it will be perfect for a picnic. And I also packed a medium-sized bag with some change of clothes, like what Natsu-nii told me. When I went downstairs, Natsu-nii is sitting on the couch, waiting for me.

"Sorry for taking too long." I apologized to him.

"Don't worry about it, Lucy. You're such a worrywart. Let's just enjoy our day together. Okay?" he said as he patted my head. "Let's go?" he continued as he carried a big picnic basket. I bet he already prepared everything inside. I got more excited now.

"Let's get permission first from Jellal-nii before we go." I spoke.

"Did you already forget what I said earlier? Everything is ready. I already got permission from him days ago. Everything is already prepared in advance." He replied and smiled. He's cute, really.

"Okay. So let's go!" I exclaimed excitedly and pulled his hand to exit the house. "By the way, is it near? Or we have to ride a train? Wait, you have motion sickness, right?" I continued.

"Lucy, you really can't avoid being worried. That's why I love you." Natsu-nii replied. I suddenly felt myself blush. "When I said everything is ready, I really mean it, even the small details. My friend gave me this med called Troia that cures motion sickness, although it'll last only for today. And by the way, we're riding a bicycle; Shirotsume is very close to Magnolia so we don't need to ride a train. And I think going on a picnic while riding a bicycle is romantic." He finished. Now I'm blushing more than ever.

"Okay. Get on, and hold on to me tight." He said as he got on the bicycle and I sat behind him, wrapping my arms around his waist. As far as I know, Natsu-nii doesn't know how to ride a bicycle because he easily gets motion sickness. Don't tell me he practiced to ride a bicycle just for this day? I can't believe he'll do this just for me.

.

.

.

**~Normal POV~**

It took an hour before Natsu and Lucy arrive at the town of Shirotsume, a place resembling like countryside. When they got off the bicycle, Natsu led her to a forest-like place full of trees and grassland of colorful flowers beside a lake.

"Wow, this place is wonderful Natsu-nii!" Lucy spoke happily.

"Natsu." he corrected her.

"Oh, I'm sorry. What I mean is, this place is wonderful, Natsu." Lucy repeated. "By the way, how did you find this beautiful place?"

"To be honest, I got a help from my friend. I was asking him to give me an idea of a place where I can take you which have very few people, and where you'll surely like. So he told me that Shirotsume is a nice place. He used to live here before. It's peaceful, and since only a few people live here, we can have a picnic alone here." He answered.

"You're so sweet Natsu." Lucy whispered to him. Natsu suddenly blushed.

"You're telling me I'm sweet when we haven't even started the picnic yet? I'm now curious of what you'll say to me after this day is done." Natsu responded and held Lucy's hand. "Let's set it up now under that tree. I'm glad the weather today is perfect for us." he continued. So, they quickly spread the blanket on the grass and set up their picnic basket.

"Natsu, did you prepare all of these?" Lucy asked, referring to the food inside the big picnic basket.

"Yes. And don't ask how I did it, because it's kind of embarrassing to explain. But I woke up very early to prepare that, 'cause I don't want to disappoint you, Lucy." Natsu answered while blushing.

"I didn't know you'd do that for me Natsu." Lucy spoke while gazing at him.

"Lucy, don't look at me like that. We've been together since long, long time ago, but I still get nervous around you, you know, especially when we're alone. And even now that we're spending the day not as siblings." Natsu said with nervousness in his voice.

"Natsu, you're so cute!" Lucy exclaimed and pinched Natsu's blushing cheek. Then, Natsu suddenly held her hand and kissed it. It's now Lucy's turn to blush.

"I love you." Natsu whispered to her, which made her blush even redder.

"H-hey! You're unfair, suddenly telling me those words. You always surprise me Natsu."

"Why? I just want to tell what I really feel."

"A-anyway, let's eat." Lucy changed the subject because of her embarrassment. Natsu just smiled.

"Wow, you brought a lot of food Natsu. Can we eat all of these?" she said in amazement as she took out some food from the basket.

"It's better to have too much than to have too less. It'll be a problem if we ran out of food in the middle of the day, right?" Natsu replied.

"You have a point there." Lucy agreed. Then she was about to get a sandwich when Natsu stopped her.

"I'll feed you." he spoke.

"W-what? Uhm, fine. Then I'll feed you too."

"That's even better." Natsu said and they started to eat, feeding each other while blushing the entire time.

After eating, Natsu took out a carton of fruit juice and two glasses from the basket. He poured the fruit juice into the glasses and they drank.

"This is delicious, Natsu!" Lucy said to him.

"I wouldn't bring something that you wouldn't like, Lucy." Natsu answered.

"Thank you. Thank you for preparing everything for me. I'm really grateful."

"I did this because I love you. And I don't want you to think that I'm not taking my feelings for you seriously."

Lucy felt very happy that he held Natsu's hand and squeezed it, and she rested her head on his shoulder. They remained silent, only the sound of the wind blowing softly and falling leaves are heard.

"Lucy, want me to sing you a song?" Natsu suddenly asked.

"Okay, what song?" she asked back.

"Just listen."

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.

.

_All I am, all I'll be  
Everything in this world  
All that I'll ever need  
Is in your eyes  
Shining at me  
When you smile I can feel  
All my passion unfolding  
Your hand brushes mine  
And a thousand sensations  
Seduce me 'cause I_

_I do cherish you_  
_For the rest of my life_  
_You don't have to think twice_  
_I will love you still_  
_From the depths of my soul_  
_It's beyond my control_  
_I've waited so long to say this to you_  
_If you're asking do I love you this much_  
_I do_

_In my world, before you_  
_I lived outside my emotions_  
_Didn't know where I was going_  
_'Til that day I found you_  
_How you opened my life_  
_To a new paradise_  
_In a world torn by change_  
_Still with all of my heart_  
_'Til my dying day_

_._

_._

_._

"That song is so sweet, Natsu." Lucy whispered to him.

"That song explains how I feel for you." he replied. "I love you, Lucy. You're the only girl that I've ever loved." He continued as he shifted in his seat to gaze at Lucy. He slowly drew closer and kissed her, with much more movement than their last, but not too passionate. When they finally parted their lips, Natsu then held her hands and kissed her fingers.

"Lucy, if you choose me. I'll work hard and marry you as soon as I earn enough. Then I'll give you 30 babies."

"W-what?" Lucy asked in extreme shock. "Natsu, that's too many!"

Natsu just chuckled. "Okay, how about ten?"

"That's still many!"

"Then, how many babies do you want?"

"Well, I haven't thought about it. Maybe just two."

"That's boring. The more, the merrier. Right? Let's settle with ten."

"Hey! Don't just decide on your own! And besides, you plan ahead too early, you know?"

Natsu laughed. "Fine, fine. Let's plan about our wedding first. Where do you want to get married?"

Lucy sweatdropped. "Natsu, it's still too early to plan about the wedding. I haven't even said yes to you."

"Then say yes to me now. So I can already prepare everything." Natsu replied while grinning.

"Let's eat the fruits you brought. The grapes look tasty." Lucy changed the subject before steam comes out of her ears.

* * *

_**A/N: I do not own the lyrics of 'I Do (Cherish You)' which is sung by 98 Degrees. By the way, if you haven't heard it (because it's a 90's song, and I'm a 90's baby. Yeah, the 90's music is still the best for me), give it a try and watch the official music video from YouTube. I really like its music video, it goes like this: the four members of the 98 Degrees are in love with the same woman (which they don't know), then they proposed to her at the same time. When the wedding day finally came, they just discovered that they will be marrying the same woman. Guess who the woman chose to marry? Heehee. Watch the music video if you're curious to know. ;)**_

_**Have you heard Natsu sing? Maybe you do if you already watched the OVAs of Fairy Tail. He sang the opening theme of OVAs 1, 2, and 3. And he had a duet with Gray at the opening of OVAs 4, 5, and 6. I'll tell you, they sing really good! If you haven't heard it, try it if you have the time. ;) And I wanna add, if you're also curious about Lucy's singing voice, she sang the ending theme of OVAs 1, 2, and 3 while she had a trio with Erza and Wendy on the ending of OVAs 4, 5, and 6. Maybe Team Natsu should form a singing group, it will give them extra income to pay for Lucy's rent and budget for Erza's strawberry cakes. Heehee.**_


	18. Chapter 18

**My Annoying Brothers**

"Then I'll feed you again." Natsu said.

"Uhm, you don't have to." Lucy answered shyly. "It's embarrassing if you feed me every time."

"But it's very rare for us to be together. I mean, only the two of us to be alone. So, I'll take every chance I get." Natsu responded.

"Well, okay." Lucy then spoke hesitantly. Natsu just smiled and started to feed her the grapes.

.

.

.

"Lucy, did you notice something about the lake in front of us?" Natsu suddenly asked Lucy.

"The only thing I noticed is the water's very clear. What's the matter Natsu?" Lucy asked back.

"Want to have a swim?"

"Huh? There might be some unknown creatures there."

"With that clear water, you can almost see what's underneath. You can even see your own feet even after you dip, so why worry about unknown creatures being there? And my friend told me he dived there underwater a lot of times already when he was still living here. So, let's try?" Natsu persuaded her.

"Okay, looks fun." Lucy replied with excitement in her eyes. Natsu then stood up and stretched his arm to Lucy. "So what are we waiting for? Let's go." So Lucy stood up and held Natsu's hand as they headed to the lake.

"Wait, I can't swim there wearing a dress." Lucy suddenly realized.

"Then take off your dress." Natsu just casually responded.

"W-what? You mean I'll dip there wearing only my underwear? No way!" Lucy exclaimed.

"Actually Lucy, it's more comfortable to go skinny dipping in a lake. Have you heard about it?" Natsu asked.

"No, I haven't heard about it." Lucy answered.

"Well, it's obvious we can't go skinny dipping with just the two of us here. So, dipping in your underwear is the only way."

"I can't! It's embarrassing!"

"You don't have to be embarrassed. We even used to take a bath together when we were kids."

"That was a very long time ago. We were still kids that time. And we were still siblings that time."

"I wouldn't do anything to you. I promise. Except when you're drowning, of course. Come on, Lucy." Natsu continued to persuade her.

"No, it's fine. I'll just watch you from here." Lucy firmly replied as she sat at the front of the lake.

"Okay. Don't regret it later that you let this rare opportunity pass." Natsu said as he took off his shirt and pants, leaving him only in his shorts, then jumped on the water. Lucy watched him, her eyes full of jealousy.

"Lucy! Take off that dress already and come here!" Natsu shouted to Lucy. But she just waved her hands, refusing the offer. But her expression is showing how she badly wants to join him.

.

.

.

Lucy didn't notice that she has dozed off for a few minutes. When she opened her eyes, Natsu wasn't on the lake anymore.

"Natsu!" Lucy shouted, calling him. But there was no answer. She stood up and shouted again.

"Hey! Natsu! Where are you?!" Lucy continued. There was still no answer, she looked around, Natsu's clothes are still on the ground. Then she noticed a shade of pink underwater on the far side of the lake. Thinking that Natsu drowned, she hurriedly took off her dress in panic and began to swim to the location of where she thought Natsu was. "Natsu?" she continued.

When she finally reached him, Lucy pulled his arm to see if he's still conscious, but Natsu suddenly moved.

"Surprise!" Natsu yelled, appearing above the water.

"Hey! What's the meaning of this? You played a prank on me?!" Lucy shouted angrily.

"It's because you won't join me here. So I thought of an idea. You reacted so easily that I even don't have to hold my breath underwater." Natsu replied, grinning.

"Natsu! That's unfair! I hate you now! And here I thought that you drowned! You made me worry for nothing!" Lucy continued to shout at him.

"I'm sorry! Don't be mad at me now. I just want to swim and have fun with you, Lucy." Natsu apologized and held Lucy's hand. "Forgive me, please?"

"Hmp!" Lucy just responded. She turned her back and was about to return when Natsu suddenly hugged her from behind. She felt his strong arms wrap around her body which made her heart beat rapidly.

"N-natsu! What are you doing?" she spoke nervously.

"Don't leave me, Lucy." He whispered to her ear. Lucy's heart thumped harder because of the words she heard.

"Silly! I won't leave you. I'll just return to where our picnic basket is. You can take your time swimming here." Lucy nervously replied, but Natsu still won't let go of his embrace.

"That's not what I mean. I want you to be here beside me, where I can always reach you and hold you like this." Natsu continued to whisper. Lucy slowly turned to face him, and looked straight into his eyes. Natsu's eyes are full of sincerity.

"F-fine. I'll forgive you this time." Lucy just responded. Natsu then showed his cute smile which made Lucy blush. Natsu pulled Lucy closer to him that their bodies are pressed against each other. Lucy accidentally rested her hands on Natsu's naked chest, feeling his hard muscles.

"I love you, Lucy." He spoke.

"There you are again, saying that all of a sudden." Lucy responded but can't look straight in his eyes.

"Do I really surprise you every time?" Natsu asked.

"Yes, actually." She answered. Natsu chuckled and drew his face closer, then whispered, "I love you, Lucy. I really do. You better get used to it now." She blushed harder as Natsu's lips touched hers.

.

.

.

Their lips are still connected when they suddenly felt raindrops falling on their heads. Lucy pulled away from the kiss and looked at the sky.

"Natsu, it's raining." She spoke. "Let's go back now."

"Okay. Let's go." Natsu responded and they started to swim back to where their clothes are. But the rain began to fall heavier.

"Oh no! The picnic basket will get wet! Let's hurry Natsu!" Lucy said as she began to swim faster. But as they reached the ground, it's already raining very hard and the clothes they left are already wet.

"What will we do now?" Lucy asked worriedly. Natsu suddenly grabbed their picnic basket and their clothes. "Lucy, follow me." He said. So she followed Natsu while carrying her bag until they reached a wooden cabin which seems a bit old, but big.

"Come in." Natsu said as he opened the door and they went inside.

"How did you know that there's a cabin here in the forest?" Lucy asked.

"I told you that my friend used to live here, right? This is their old house. His family occasionally visits here so this seems a bit unused. He gave me a key if ever I want to take shelter." Natsu responded as he opened the windows. "And just when I thought that the weather is perfect for us, this happens."

"The clouds are getting dark, Natsu. And the rain is getting heavier. Do you think this rain will be gone in a few hours?" Lucy asked worriedly.

"I'm still not sure about that. But don't worry about it. Let's dry up first. Wait here for a bit, I'll just get clean towels for us." Natsu answered as he walked inside the bedroom. After a few minutes, he returned and gave Lucy a towel.

"Did they leave some spare clothes here? My clothes are wet, even the clothes I brought, and even my underwear." Lucy spoke, looking at herself. Natsu just grinned. "Let's take off our underwear and let them dry. I know there are some spare clothes left, but only some baggy shirts."

"It's fine, as long as I have something to wear." Lucy said as she entered the room to find the shirts. She found a baggy shirt, big enough to cover her body until her mid-thighs. "Well, this is better than nothing." She told herself as she started to take off her underwear and wear the shirt. Then she exited the room to join Natsu.

"Natsu, you should wear something too. It's getting cold now." Lucy spoke as she joined Natsu who is staring outside the window. He turned to look at her, and he quickly blushed.

"What's the matter, Natsu?" she asked in confusion.

"You're really beautiful whatever you wear, Lucy. Even when wearing a baggy shirt, you look sexy." Natsu honestly answered.

"W-what? Stop joking there and put on some clothes." Lucy replied as she threw the towel on Natsu's face. Natsu just laughed and went to the room.

"Geez, that Natsu. He's making me nervous. Good thing it's kind of dark here." Lucy just whispered to herself. She then stared outside, looking at the heavy rain.

.

.

.

Lucy was surprised when Natsu suddenly appeared behind her, now wearing a baggy shirt and baggy pants. He wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Hey! Don't hug me!" Lucy yelled as she distanced herself to him.

"Why? I just did this to you a while ago at the lake." Natsu asked.

"I know! It's just . . . Uhm."

"Just what?"

"I'm wearing nothing except this shirt." She whispered in a low voice.

"What?" Natsu asked again.

"Nothing."

"If it's nothing then let me embrace you." Natsu responded as he tightened his embrace. Steam is practically coming out of Lucy's ears now.

"H-hey, Natsu. You think we'll be able to go home this afternoon?"

"Yeah. Let's wait for the rain to stop. Damn this rain, it ruined my perfect plan. I'll sue that weather reporter who gave wrong information. He announced that it will be sunny all throughout the day."

"Haha. You're too harsh Natsu. Wrong weather forecasts happen from time to time."

"You have a point there. Well, whatever. I guess it's fine because I got to spend the day with you, rain or shine." Natsu whispered to her ear, which began to heat up.

"By the way, what's the rest of your plans for today?" Lucy asked eagerly.

"After the picnic, we'll go to a mango forest near here. Then pick some ripe mangoes to take home for Gray and Jellal-nii. Then a ride a boat, since I have no motion sickness today, I thought that this is a good opportunity. But, well, I don't think we can do that now with this rain." Natsu explained.

"Yeah, you're right. That's too bad. Picking fruits seems very fun." Lucy agreed. "By the way, what time is it now?"

"It's already three in the afternoon. We have to be home by seven."

"Okay. I'll just take a nap. Wake me up when the rain stops okay?" Lucy spoke as she walked towards the bedroom. "Are there some thick blankets here? The wind is very cold."

"Yeah just look inside the cabinets there. Want me to sleep beside you?" Natsu joked.

"No, wait for the rain to stop so we can go home as soon as possible. We don't want to make the other two worry." Lucy just answered. She found a big blanket and lied down on the bed then went to sleep.

.

.

.

Lucy woke up, still hearing the heavy pour of the rain. She noticed outside the window that it's already dark. It's also dark inside the cabin.

"Damn, what time is it?" She started to panic as she realized that they have to go home. She quickly went outside the room and saw Natsu, his head resting on one arm in the table. It seems he fell asleep too. She quickly walked up to him.

"Hey, Natsu." She tried to wake him up and shook his shoulders. Natsu lifted his head lazily.

"Hey! It's already dark! We have to go home now Natsu!" Lucy spoke in panic. "What time is it now?"

"Wait, it's too dark, I can't see the time. Let's switch on the lights first." Natsu said as he stood up and looked for the light switch. He finally found it and light finally filled the cabin. He looked at his wristwatch then panic also spread across his face.

"Shit, it's already six in the evening!" Natsu said.

"Oh no, the rain haven't stopped. Our clothes are still wet. What do we do now?" Lucy asked worriedly.

"Wait, I'll try to contact Jellal-nii and tell him that we'll be coming home late because of the heavy rain." Natsu said as he grabbed his bag and took out his phone. He dialed Jellal's number and called him.

"Hello? Jellal-nii, we'll be home late tonight- Hello? Jellal-nii?" Natsu spoke on the phone. "Damn it, what's happening? The call was being cut-off." Natsu said in irritation as he tried to call Jellal again. "Jellal-nii? Do you hear me? Lucy and I will be home late- Hello? Damn it. The signal was lost." Natsu breathed deeply in irritation.

"What are we going to do now Natsu?" Lucy asked him worriedly. Natsu patted her shoulder. "Don't worry. I know Jellal-nii heard what I told him on the phone. At least we kept in touch. The signal got weak because of this heavy rain."

"I hope he won't get mad at us." Lucy whispered, still deeply worried.

"He won't get mad at you, I guarantee that. And I'll take all the blame, so don't worry anymore. Okay?" Natsu comforted her.

"No, I'll the take the blame too. I should be scolded too." Lucy told him.

"You're so kind Lucy. But everything is my responsibility. You're not the one at fault."

"No! It's my- KYAAAH!" Lucy shouted in fear as they suddenly heard a loud thunder and the lights went out. She quickly held tight to Natsu. "Crap, a blackout?" she whispered nervously.

"Yeah. Looks like it." Natsu agreed. Lucy can feel that Natsu is grinning.

"Hey, what's so funny? Are you laughing at me because I got scared of the thunder?" Lucy asked in fury.

"Of course not."

"Then what's so funny? I can clearly sense you're suppressing your laughter even if I can't see your face."

"They're big, Lucy." Natsu just replied. When Lucy realized what he's talking about, she quickly let go of her grip on him and distanced herself. "Hey! You pervert brother!"

"I don't have any plans of doing something to you, okay? I'm just telling you the truth. It's because I felt them when you suddenly hugged me. I can't help it." Natsu said, still suppressing his laughter.

"That's sexual harassment! I hate you!" Lucy shouted at him.

"Hey, you told me that you hate me twice already, at the lake, then here. You're hurting me." Natsu whispered sadly. Lucy suddenly felt guilty.

"I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean it. It's because you keep on making fun of me." Lucy apologized.

"I'm sorry too. You didn't mean those words? So does it mean you really love me?" Natsu asked her in a serious tone. Lucy suddenly blushed. Luckily the place was dark.

"Maybe this cabin has some flashlights here or oil lamps. Let's try to find some." Lucy changed the topic.

"Hey. You keep on dodging my questions today, Lucy." Natsu spoke. "At least answer me seriously this time."

"W-what are you saying?" Lucy asked nervously.

"Do you love me?" Natsu asked her again, and held her hand. Lucy's heart is pounding so hard right now that Natsu might notice it on her pulse.

"That . . . Well . . ." Lucy spoke then another loud thunder roared that made her jump on Natsu again. She was about to let go but Natsu embraced her very tight.

"Na-Natsu, let me go now." she whispered. But Natsu still won't let go.

"I don't want to. I'll never let you go. I love you Lucy. I want you to be mine only." Natsu whispered back to her.

"W-what do you mean?" Lucy asked.

"I love you. I love you. I love you. I won't get tired of saying that I love you Lucy. Because that's what my heart is telling me." Natsu said and he ran his right thumb on her lower lip. "I want you." He said and kissed her passionately on the lips. After a minute, they finally pulled apart. Both deeply blushing, but masked by the darkness.

"Uhm . . . We should find a source of light. I remember seeing an oil lamp somewhere in this cabin." Lucy finally spoke, but still embarrassed. "Let me borrow your phone so I can search for it." So Natsu handed her his phone. Lucy used the light from his phone to search for the oil lamp; luckily she found it easily with a matchbox beside. Natsu closed the windows so the flame won't be blown off as Lucy lighted the oil lamp.

"Let's eat, Lucy. I suddenly got hungry now." Natsu spoke.

"Oh, yeah we haven't had dinner." Lucy agreed.

"There's still some food left in the picnic basket. Fortunately the inside didn't get wet." Natsu said as he took out some food from the picnic basket. "I'll feed you again tonight, is it alright?"

"Yeah, of course Natsu." Lucy answered with a smile.

"Feed me too. Okay?" Natsu said then Lucy just nodded.

They started to feed each other with Natsu randomly stealing kisses from Lucy, which gets her angry, but forgives him a second later.

"Haven't you noticed that we're like a newlywed couple?" Natsu suddenly asked.

Lucy blushed a deep red. "Y-yeah, now that you mention it."

"But we'll be sweeter than this if we really got married in the future."

"H-huh? What do you mean?"

"Because we're still not married now, there are a lot of things in my mind that we can't do yet. So I'm saving it for when we get married." Natsu responded with a wide grin on his face.

"I don't like that grin you're making, Natsu."

"Oops. Am I too obvious?"

"Yeah. It's creeping me out."

"I'm not having dirty thoughts! I promise!" Natsu suddenly got defensive.

"I didn't mention something about dirty thoughts." Lucy just responded.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I just thought . . ." Natsu whispered.

"But it's a possibility, too." Lucy continued.

"What? That's so harsh Lucy."

"Then what are those things in your mind right now?"

"Why don't we sleep for now so we can wake up early tomorrow morning and finally go home. I'm sure the rain will be gone by then and our clothes too." Natsu answered as he stood up.

"So now, you're the one dodging my question." Lucy stared suspiciously at him.

"Just to get back at you for dodging my question a while ago. So now, we're even." Natsu responded with a wide grin.

"Fine! Geez." Lucy replied as she also stood up and walked towards the bedroom.

"Can I sleep beside you?"

"Do what you want."

"You might want to take back what you said. Because I'll seriously do what I want to do to you right now." Natsu warned her as he suddenly hugged her from behind.


	19. Chapter 19

**My Annoying Brothers**

"Natsu! What do you mean you'll do what you want to do?" Lucy asked nervously.

"Like this for example." Natsu whispered and licked Lucy's nape.

"Hey! It tickles!" Lucy screamed. "Seriously, Natsu, I don't want to play around with you."

Natsu tightened his embrace. "I'm not playing around. I'm serious."

"Whatever, let's sleep already."

"It's still early, let's sleep later."

"Then what are you planning to do now? We already ate dinner. We have nothing left to do except sleep."

"There's still something that we can do. It's something that we can do in the dark."

"Huh? W-what do you mean?! Do something . . . in the dark?"

"Well, it can also be done with the lights on, but it's much more exciting and challenging to do it in the dark."

Lucy gulped. "Natsu, you're making me nervous now."

"Have you guessed it Lucy?"

"W-what?! I don't know!"

Natsu laughed. "Don't pretend as if you don't know."

Lucy's heart pounded so hard that moment that she thought she's gonna faint. "Tell it to me already!"

.

.

.

"Hide and seek."

"What?!" Lucy sighed in relief and punched Natsu on the chest. "Stop messing with me Natsu!"

"I'm not messing with you. Or did you think something else besides hide and seek?" Natsu said while grinning. "I guess I'm not the one with dirty thoughts here."

"I'm not having dirty thoughts! I really hate you now!"

"That's the third time already Lucy."

"It's your entire fault! You really like to make fun of me!"

"Hey. Don't be mad at me now. I'm sorry. It's just because you're so cute and sexy at the same time that I can't help but make fun of you. So, let's play hide and seek?"

"Play by yourself! I'm going to sleep!" Lucy yelled to him, removed his arms around her and lied down on the bed.

"I'm sorry. I'm just really happy that we're alone right now. And that I can sleep with you tonight." Natsu apologized.

"If you're happy, then just say you're happy. You don't have to make fun of me." Lucy spoke in an angry voice.

"Okay. I'm sorry. Can I still sleep beside you?" Natsu asked hesitantly.

"Sleep wherever you want to sleep." Lucy just answered.

Natsu lied down beside her. "You know, I choose to be with you not only every time I sleep. Even when I'm awake, I want to be beside you. And if possible, also whenever I take a bath."

"Natsu, I'm not in the mood anymore for your jokes." Lucy interrupted him.

"Lucy, I'm not joking all the time. I can be serious when I want to." Natsu responded to her.

"So, are you joking or are you serious right now?" Lucy asked while staring intently at him.

"Okay. I won't joke anymore starting this very minute. I won't make fun of you again." Natsu responded in a serious tone.

"That's good. Now, let's sleep already." Lucy then replied. "The night is getting colder because of the heavy rain and the strong wind. I think we should get additional blankets."

"No need for additional blankets." Natsu answered. "I alone can keep you warm. Just stay close to me."

Lucy suddenly blushed when Natsu wrapped his arms around her. His body is really warm and it feels comforting. So she snuggled closer to him.

"You're really keeping me warm Natsu. Thanks." Lucy whispered.

"Going to sleep already?" He asked. Lucy just nodded.

"But, I'm not sleepy. And it's still early." Natsu whispered.

"Don't tell me you're going to start that hide and seek joke of yours again." Lucy replied.

"Of course not. Let's talk for some more, can we?"

"Okay. What do you want to talk about?" Lucy asked him.

"Well, I've wanted to ask you this ever since you discovered the truth. But you don't have to answer it immediately. Uhm . . . Is there someone that you already chose? Or someone that you're starting to like, between me, Gray, and Jellal-nii."

Lucy's heart pounded harder after hearing Natsu's question. She'll most probably choose one of the three, because they're the most important men in her life.

"Honestly, I still haven't thought about that. It's difficult, Natsu. I love the three of you. And if it's possible, I don't want to choose because I don't want to lose even one of you."

Natsu smiled. "You're quite the selfish one huh? But you don't have to worry about it Lucy. Whoever you choose, the other two will still stay with you, I'm very sure about it. We only have each other and we'll still be family as long as we live. And whoever you choose, he will surely not hurt you, because the other two will beat the crap out of him. Especially if you happen to choose Gray and he made a single tear fall from your eye, I will really beat the crap out of him until you can't recognize his face anymore."

"That's cruel Natsu." Lucy responded and giggled. "And what if I chose Jellal-nii?"

"I'm confident that he won't do anything to hurt you. I and Gray can't really oppose him ever since we're kids because he's the oldest. But when it comes to you and he happened to hurt you even in the slightest bit, we won't hesitate to take you away from him."

"Then what if I chose you?" Lucy then asked.

"W-well . . . I'll love you with all of my heart and all of me. And I won't hurt you. And I'll marry you as soon as possible." Natsu answered. "Damn. What am I saying, I'm so cheesy."

Lucy laughed softly. "You're certainly cheesy Natsu. But, it's sweet."

"Really?" Natsu asked eagerly. "All of what I said is true."

"But, Gray-nii keeps on telling that you're a playboy. Are you sure you won't cheat on me?"

"Of course! I promise that! I won't even get out of your sight even for a minute if that's what you want. I can even take a bath with you."

"Hey, cut that 'taking a bath with me' already."

"I just want to show how serious I am. I'll never cheat on you, because you're the only girl I love, and second, I don't want to be beaten to a pulp by those two."

"Okay. I believe you. But, Natsu, what if I chose another man? Not between the three of you?"

"W-what? Don't tell me you like someone else?!" Natsu asked in panic.

"Calm down. I'm just asking."

"I'm not sure about that. Because it's someone else, we can't be sure if he's really serious about you or not. Don't tell me you're considering that Sting guy?" Natsu asked again.

"No, silly. It's quite impossible for me to choose him now." Lucy answered. Natsu sighed in relief. "So it still comes down to the three of us?"

"Yeah, you can say that." She answered. "And I can be sure that all of you won't hurt me, right?"

"Of course. So Lucy, choose me now." Natsu whispered to her.

"H-hey. What's with that so suddenly?" Lucy asked in surprise.

"Don't you feel something for me? Haven't you felt like falling in love with me?"

"I don't know . . . Maybe. I'm still not sure about my feelings right now. But, I'm happy being with you and I feel safe."

"You'll always be safe with me. I'll protect you because I love you. I really love you Lucy." Natsu whispered as he drew his face closer to Lucy and kissed her. He slowly climbed on top of her while still kissing her and his lips traveled to her neck.

"Why do you smell so good all the time?" Natsu whispered as he plants little kisses on her neck while sniffing her scent.

"O-of course. Who wants to smell bad? N-natsu, what you're doing tickles me." Lucy whispered with her eyes closed. She ran her fingers through his pink hair.

Natsu lifted his head and stared at her. "What do you feel right now?" he asked.

"Uhm . . . I can't explain it." Lucy just answered. Natsu smiled and kissed her again on the lips.

"You don't know how you're tempting me right now with what you're wearing." Natsu whispered while staring at her clothed chest. "But I won't do anything to you that you're not ready yet. So, maybe, I can touch them?"

"W-what?!" Lucy asked in surprise. Natsu chuckled. "I said can I touch them?"

"W-what do you . . . mean . . .?!" Lucy continued.

"Nothing. I'm just kidding." Natsu answered her.

"You just said that you're not going to joke around anymore."

"What I mean is, can I touch your lips with my lips for the rest of the night?"

"How will we able to sleep if you do that?"

"You can sleep. I won't." Natsu just answered.

"Huh? Do you know what you're saying?" Lucy asked.

"Yeah. I'll just watch you sleep." Natsu responded. "As what I told you a while ago, this is a rare opportunity to be alone with you. How can I just sleep when I'm with the girl I love? Instead of sleeping, I'll savor the time I have with you."

Lucy suddenly blushed with what Natsu said. "Fine. But don't force yourself. You must sleep as soon you feel sleepy, okay? You might get sick."

"I don't mind getting sick if it's you who'll take care of me." Natsu responded. "I don't even mind being sick forever." He continued. Lucy blushed harder.

"Hey. That's not funny. I don't want you getting sick. Okay? Stop that nonsense."

"Your kiss is enough to prevent me from getting sick." Natsu whispered as he kissed Lucy again on the lips. He held her hands and intertwined their fingers.

"Hold my hands tight Lucy." Natsu whispered as they parted their lips.

"Huh? Why?" Lucy asked in confusion.

"Because my hands might travel to places they shouldn't travel, especially when you're like that." Natsu replied while grinning.

"Hey, stop that creepy grin Natsu."

Natsu laughed and then finally lied down beside Lucy and wrapped his arms around her, keeping her close to his chest. "Sleep now Lucy. I'll keep you warm so you can sleep comfortably and peacefully."

"Okay, thank you Natsu. You should sleep too. I'm serious, I don't want you getting sick."

"Yes. Don't worry about me. But let me stare at your face for a few hours before I sleep."

"Hours?! Geez, if you do that, you'll get sick of my face in no time." Lucy answered.

"That won't happen, because I've always been staring at your face all these years and I didn't even get tired or sick of it." Natsu said.

"Okay fine. Stare at me all you want." Lucy sighed.

"So, can I stare at your body too?" Natsu then asked.

"Huh?!" Lucy asked in shock.

"What I mean is, just stay close to me so your body won't get cold."

"Geez, I don't understand what's running on your mind. I'm going to sleep now. And don't forget to blow off the oil lamp before you sleep. Goodnight Natsu." Lucy whispered to him. Natsu kissed her on the forehead and greeted back. "Okay. Goodnight Lucy."

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Next morning, Lucy woke up first. She noticed that Natsu is still asleep and still holding her close to him. She grabbed his hand to look at his watch; it's five in the morning. The heavy rain is gone and only droplets are heard.

"Natsu, wake up." Lucy tried to wake him and shook his arm. Natsu flinched and slowly opened his eyes. "Good morning Lucy." He said and wrapped his arm around her, then closed his eyes again. "Kiss me."

"Damn. This habit of yours again, sleeptalking." Lucy whispered but kissed him on the cheek anyway. "Okay, I already kissed you. If Jellal-nii and Gray-nii were here, they've beaten the crap out of you already."

"Not there, here." Natsu whispered as he pointed his index finger to his lips.

"What? Hey Natsu, are you already awake?"

"Of course. I'm not sleeptalking. So, please kiss me now here." Natsu replied and pointed to his lips.

"As if I'd do that!" Lucy refused and tried to get up, but Natsu held her tightly, restraining her movement.

"Okay then I'll kiss you." Natsu whispered and about to kiss her lips but Lucy covered his face with her hands.

"Let's dress up first and get ready to go."

"But it's still five in the morning. Let's snuggle for an hour more. Please? And it's really cold right now, please make me warm Lucy." Natsu pleaded with his puppy dog eyes. Lucy just stared at him with suspicion.

"Fine. Since we'll be going home very soon." Lucy just said and snuggled closer to his warm chest.

"Why does time fly by so fast when you're with the one you love? Because it feels like just a moment ago, we're riding a bicycle on the way here, and now, it's already time to go home." Natsu whispered in a sad voice.

Lucy chuckled. "You make it sound like we won't meet again after this. We live in the same house, you know? We'll still see each other every day. You're really funny Natsu."

"But I already told you, right? When we're at home, we're siblings. So I can't kiss you anymore, I can't sleep beside you anymore, and we can't snuggle like this anymore." Natsu responded.

"Well, you have to bear with it. By the way Natsu, we'll ride a bicycle again right? Are you still fine to ride again?" Lucy asked.

"Damn! The Troia has worn off since last night! Crap, how will we go home?" Natsu suddenly blurted in panic.

"Looks like we have no choice. Okay I'm on the pedals this time, you're on the back. Make sure you hold on to me tight." Lucy just responded.

"Damn it, I'm going to look so pathetic later with motion sickness. Can we just walk home Lucy?" Natsu said.

"What? Gray-nii and Jellal-nii are surely worried as hell now. We have to get home as early as possible before they can search the whole Shirotsume Town."

"Well, okay. And I should get ready for Jellal-nii's scolding. And Gray's wrath."

"Haha. You sure know how your fate is going to be for this day."

"Yeah, they'll surely interrogate me about what happened to our date, especially what happened last night because we were supposed to be already home that time. I just hope I'm still alive tomorrow."

"Of course. You contacted Jellal-nii last night, but the signal was out of range. I'm sure they'll understand. I'll back you up with your interrogation." Lucy said and winked at him.

"That makes me relieved. So let's stop talking about that. I want to savor our last moments together." Natsu whispered and hugged her tighter.

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After an hour, Natsu and Lucy got up from the bed and dressed up, luckily their clothes have dried. And as what Lucy said, it was her turn to pedal while Natsu wrapped his arms tightly around her waist. It should be heaven for him if it weren't for his motion sickness that came back. They finally reached home after an hour only to find two guys waiting eagerly for their return.

"Uhm . . . We're home?" Lucy hesitantly greeted Gray and Jellal as they entered the house. The two are just staring at Natsu and Lucy suspiciously.

"Look, we got stranded at Shirotsume because of an unexpected thunderstorm. Then we tried to contact-" Lucy explained but Jellal just patted her shoulders and hugged her.

"It's okay. I received the call and I heard what Natsu said. Although it's a bit choppy, I understood what he tried to say." Jellal said and smiled. Lucy sighed in relief.

"I really thought you're mad Jellal-nii, so Natsu and I got worried." Lucy said and hugged Jellal back.

"Of course not, the thunderstorm is unexpected so I'm not mad about it. But I'll be mad if something happened between the two of you that shouldn't happen." Jellal responded. Lucy felt nervous.

"Yeah. Jellal-nii is right. Did something happen between you and Natsu? Or I think it's better to ask this way, did Natsu do something to you?" Gray added.

"Huh? No! Nothing happened! We just stayed inside a wooden cabin then slept. That's all." Lucy answered nervously.

"I doubt it. We're talking about Natsu here." Gray replied. "Hey, Natsu. Did you do something?"

"I . . . feel . . . nauseous. . ." Natsu just answered while lying down on the couch, his face pale because of motion sickness.

"He isn't feeling well, Gray-nii. Let him rest first. Okay?" Lucy spoke worriedly.

"Fine. We'll question him later when he's feeling better. By the way, have you eaten breakfast?" asked Jellal.

"Not yet, because we went home as soon as we woke up."

"Okay, you eat breakfast first. Gray, bring Natsu to his bed." Jellal ordered. Gray then carried Natsu on his back and went to their room.

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"How was your day with Natsu yesterday?" Jellal asked Lucy as she started to eat breakfast.

"Well, it's fine. He had planned what we'll be doing for the whole day, until that heavy rain came which completely ruined his plans. We had no choice but to stay inside the wooden cabin until morning, the thunder even caused a blackout, so it's kinda unlucky day for him." Lucy explained.

"Okay. So Natsu didn't do anything inappropriate to you?" Jellal asked again. Lucy began to blush.

"H-he didn't do anything. He just constantly made fun of me because I got scared of the thunder. That's all." Lucy answered nervously.

"Okay. I believe you." Jellal said and smiled as he patted her head. "Wanna go grocery shopping with me later?"

"Sure!" Lucy answered excitedly.

"But you must rest now. I'll just knock on your door when it's time to go." Jellal said. Lucy just nodded with a smile.

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That day ended peacefully for the siblings (except for Natsu who was interrogated by Gray and Jellal that night without Lucy's knowledge). But they have no idea that a certain someone will finally make his move and will make their situation more complicated.


	20. Chapter 20

**My Annoying Brothers**

**~One week later~ (Monday)**

As usual, the four siblings went to school together, and Lucy returned to having lunch together with her friends. When they returned to their classroom, she saw Sting staring at her and smiling suspiciously. Lucy knew that he's acting like this because of his plan to elope with her. Only one week is left and the one month deadline Sting gave her will be over. She knew she had to turn him down before it gets too late.

When their History class is finally over, before exiting the classroom, Rufus announced something.

"Class, my one month as a substitute teacher here at the Academy will soon be over. I want to thank you for the short, but unforgettable time we spent. I really enjoyed teaching this class." Rufus spoke with his usual smile. The girls began to moan with sadness and disappointment.

"Sensei, please stay here forever!" One student spoke.

Rufus just chuckled. "I wish I can stay here forever. But there are important matters I need to attend to. And as what I've told you when we first met, I have one important purpose on coming here." Rufus said and glanced at Lucy.

"We will miss you Rufus-sensei." The students cried.

"I'll miss all of you too. Don't worry, I still have a week left. So it's still too early to mourn." Rufus responded. "By the way, Lucy Fernandes-san, please go to my office later after the classes end. I want to talk to you." Lucy suddenly flinched after hearing her name and looked at Rufus. He just winked at her and finally exited the classroom. Lucy glanced at Sting, she noticed Sting's uneasiness in his eyes. She wondered why Sting looks like he's in panic, hearing that his half-brother wants to talk to her.

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"As what I've thought. Rufus-sensei will finally confess to Lucy." Erza spoke while they were waiting for their next class.

"Yeah! You're really his purpose on coming here. And now that his stay at the Academy will be over, he's set on getting you!" Mira agreed in excitement.

"Damn, don't say nonsense things. You're making me nervous. I wonder what he wants to talk about." Lucy whispered.

"He'll confess, as simple as that." Juvia butted in.

"Lu-chan, if he really confessed to you, what will be your response?" Levy asked Lucy.

"I'll turn him down of course." Lucy answered.

"Hey, give him at least a bit of hope. He's gorgeous as hell, give him a chance!" Cana suddenly howled.

"He's too old for me!" Lucy cried.

"So what? Age doesn't matter anyway. And he's so mature. I bet he knows a lot of techniques." Cana spoke.

"Techniques about what?" Lucy asked.

"You know. . . Well, never mind!" Cana just replied while grinning.

"Guys, we're jumping to conclusions here. Let's just wait until tomorrow when Lucy can tell us the juicy details." Lisanna stated.

"Oh, I can't wait till tomorrow!" Mira uttered.

"Geez, you're expecting too much. What if it's just about my grades? You'll just get yourselves disappointed." Lucy spoke to them.

"But you're doing well in History. You did not fail even once in his exams. Why would he bother to talk to you about it?" Juvia responded.

"And why only you?" Erza continued. "If he wants to talk about our grades then he should talk to everyone in this class."

"I don't know. Damn! My head hurts just thinking about it!" Lucy cried.

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When the classes are finally over, Gray and Natsu are already waiting outside Lucy's classroom to fetch her. Lucy quickly went to meet the two.

"Gray-nii, Natsu, Rufus-sensei wants to talk to me now. You can go home first." She spoke.

"Talk about what?" Natsu asked.

"I don't know. He just said he wants to talk to me after class." Lucy answered.

"Then we'll wait for you." Gray said.

"Huh? Are you sure? It may take long." Lucy replied.

"It's fine. We'll wait for you, and besides, there is someone here who might just do something not very nice." Natsu said as he glanced at Sting who's watching them.

"Well . . . Okay. Then you can come with me and just wait outside Rufus-sensei's office." Lucy said so they walked towards Rufus' office, with Sting tailing them.

"Hey, why are you following us?" Gray asked Sting as they walk.

"It's none of your business." Sting just replied.

"Tch. Bastard." Gray just whispered angrily.

When they finally reached their destination, Lucy knocked on the door and Rufus let her in.

"Thanks for coming. You're not with your brothers?" Rufus asked her.

"They're outside, sensei. And Sting-kun is also there." Lucy answered.

"You can let them in, even Sting. It would be nicer if they hear what I'm about to say to you. Although I know Sting already had an idea what it will be." Rufus said while flashing his mysterious smile. Lucy suddenly felt nervous. It's been bugging her all this time about what will Rufus tell her. So she called her brothers and Sting to also come inside. They sat on the couch.

"We're missing one person here. Where's the oldest brother?" Rufus asked Lucy.

"He went to his part time job, Sensei. So he's not here." Lucy replied. She noticed the unease and restlessness between the three guys, so she felt more nervous.

"I see. I guess it's fine even if he's not here." Rufus whispered.

"So, Sensei, what do you want to talk about?" Lucy asked nervously. Rufus walked up to her and sat beside her. "Before that, Lucy, what was your first impression when you first saw me?" he asked while gazing at her. It seems Lucy wasn't expecting that question.

"Well . . . You look like a prince. Uhm . . . Why are you asking that, Sensei?" Lucy asked back.

"Do you already know that you're not biologically related to your brothers?" He continued to ask, Lucy's eyes widened in shock.

"W-what? . . . Why do you know something private like that, Sensei?" Lucy asked, her expression filled with disbelief. Even her brothers are surprised. Rufus just let out a light chuckle.

"So, you already knew who your real parents are?" he asked, not bothering to answer her question.

"No. . . I don't even know their names." Lucy whispered. "All I know is that I was adopted by my brothers' parents when I was born because both of my parents already passed away."

"You're correct. Your father died of illness when your mother was still pregnant. And your mother passed away while giving birth to you. Your parents are Jude and Layla Heartfilia." Rufus explained.

"Sensei. . . Why do you know all of this?" Lucy asked him eagerly, still surprised with what she heard from Rufus.

"No need to rush, Princess. That's the reason I called you here." Rufus just calmly responded.

"W-what . . . Princess? Only Jellal-nii calls me that." Lucy spoke.

"Really? So he knew already?" Rufus asked her.

"Knew what?" Lucy asked back.

"You said that I look like a prince right? It is because I am a real prince." Rufus explained. The expression of disbelief on the siblings' faces remained, but Sting's expression tells that he's already expecting to hear those words. "And you are my princess. Or let's say, my future queen." Rufus continued.

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"Hey, stop bullshitting us! Are we having a fairy tale story telling here?" Natsu suddenly howled. "Can't you get straight to the point?!"

"Quite the impatient here, aren't you?" Rufus calmly responded. "I'm sorry, but I'm not bullshitting anyone here."

"Then, what do you mean that you're a prince and Lucy is your future queen? Explain it." Gray spoke in a low voice.

"I guess all of us here know the kingdom of Fiore?" Rufus questioned everyone. They just nodded in response. "The current king of Fiore has two daughters from two different wives. The firstborn is Princess Laura* then the next is Princess Layla. They're half-sisters." Rufus explained.

"Don't tell me . . . Lucy is . . ." Gray spoke in disbelief.

Rufus let out a laugh. "So, I guess you already understand what I'm trying to tell?"

"I can't believe this. Lucy, our sister . . . is a real princess." Natsu whispered with a shocked expression.

"Wait . . . I refuse to believe this, Sensei! You're just lying! Please tell me that you're just lying!" Lucy spoke in worry.

"I'm sorry, my Princess. But everything you heard from me is true. And I'm not finished yet." Rufus responded.

"Wait. So what's your connection with Lucy?" Gray asked him.

"Oh, right. I forgot to tell. I am the firstborn of Princess Laura. And Sting is the second child. But we have different fathers."

"Then that makes you and Lucy half-cousins! How can she be your princess?" Natsu yelled in impatience.

"Princess Layla was arranged to marry a prince from another kingdom, but she was totally against it, because she's already in love with another man, Jude Heartfilia, who was just a commoner. To avoid getting married to the prince, Princess Layla and Jude eloped. And of course, Princess Layla totally angered the king. Due to his wrath, he demanded that in order to pay for her sins, if ever her firstborn child is a girl, she'll marry the firstborn of Princess Laura." Rufus explained. The siblings fell completely silent.

"So . . . you mean . . . Lucy, and you?" Gray whispered.

"Yes. Exactly . . . In other words, even before Lucy was born, we are already engaged." Rufus answered with his mysterious smile.

"No . . . That can't be true! That's impossible! I'm just an ordinary girl! I can't be anyone's princess except Jellal-nii!" Lucy cried. "Rufus-sensei, please tell me you just made up everything!"

"I'm sorry Princess. I know that you're too shocked and surprised from what you've heard from me. And I know you're hurt, but you have to accept your fate. You can ask Sting if you still don't believe me. You'll be the future queen of Fiore. After my one month stay here, I'll be going back to Crocus, and of course, you'll be going with me. You have to leave your 'brothers' and live in the castle. That's the King's order." Rufus declared. Lucy looked worriedly at Sting with questioning eyes, and Sting looked back at her with pained expression, telling that everything she just heard was true.

"Sting, please tell me it's not true . . ." Lucy pleaded. Sting gazed at her with sad eyes and lowered his head. "Lucy . . . I . . . I'm sorry. . . You know I also wish that it wasn't true . . ."

"You can't just steal Lucy away from us!" Gray suddenly shouted. "As if we'll believe someone like you who just appeared suddenly out of nowhere and then just declaring that you'll marry her!"

"I won't let anyone get near her, especially you and Sting. You have to kill the three of us first before you can get your dirty hands on her!" Natsu added.

Rufus just laughed. "Princess, you're so lucky to have brothers like them. It's like you have three knights in shining armor. They're treating you like a very precious gemstone that hasn't been touched by anyone. That makes me want to own you more now."

"You can't just marry me, Sensei. We don't love each other. If everything you said was really true, then let's talk to the King and tell him that we oppose him. You don't know me, and I don't know you. That's enough reason for us not to get married. You don't love me, right? You don't have any special feelings for me."

"The King's orders are absolute. Opposing him is the biggest mistake you'll ever make in your whole life. You don't know what sort of unimaginable things he can do when he's angry. He's a scary one." Rufus replied.

"But, you don't love me, right, Sensei?" Lucy asked pleadingly.

"Honestly, when I was first told by my late mother that I'm already engaged to someone I don't even know, I'm totally against it, because I want to marry someone that I love. But when I discovered that it'll be you, I fell in love with you instantly the first time I saw you. And I became eager to get close to you. Although I feel a bit sad for Sting, because the truth is, he was the first one to fall in love with you. And knowing that his half-brother will marry his dream girl, it surely is heart breaking for him. That's why he always hated me." Rufus explained and he glanced at Sting, who remained silent, but his fists clenched tightly.

"Lucy was supposed to be mine . . ." Sting whispered in a low, but angry voice. "You're always stealing everything and everyone precious from me!"

"I'm sorry Sting, it's not my fault that I'm the firstborn. And it's not my intention to steal everything from you. It just happened that you fell in love with the girl I'm supposed to marry in the future." Rufus just calmly replied.

"But we don't even know each other!" Lucy cried.

"The two of us not knowing each other very well isn't really a big deal. We can take our time getting to know each other when you start to live in the castle. And besides, we can't get married until you turn 18, so we have enough time to spend together. We can have long talks all day, all night." Rufus answered while smiling to her.

"No . . . I don't want this." Lucy whispered sadly, tears started to flow from her eyes. Gray then suddenly embraced her and tried to comfort her.

"Do whatever you want to do. We won't let you steal Lucy away from us. We'll protect her at all costs!" Natsu shouted. "I'll never let you marry her!"

Rufus chuckled. "The three of you can't decide everything for her. You're not her parents. You're not even her biological siblings. And besides, why don't we let the Princess decide for herself this time?"

"She won't marry you, and she won't go with you. That's it." Gray responded. "Let's go home, Natsu, Lucy. We're just wasting our time here." He continued and stood up, still holding Lucy. Natsu stood up next, and they started to walk towards the door.

"Wait. Before you go home, I wish to have one last minute with the Princess. Can I?" Rufus asked them. "Only the two of us."

"You're still not satisfied?!" Natsu suddenly asked angrily at Rufus. But Lucy squeezed his hand and whispered, "It's okay. Just wait outside with Gray-nii." Natsu then calmed down and went outside with Gray and Sting, and they waited outside in silence.

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Inside Rufus' office, now only the two of them left behind, Rufus softly caressed Lucy's cheek and drew his face closer to her then whispered,

"Princess, I want you to make the right decision. And I'll tell you something that I discovered a while ago that will help you decide."

"W-what is it?" Lucy asked him nervously.

"Did you know that your Father didn't really die of natural causes? As what I have heard from the castle, it was because of the King. He bribed the doctors of the hospital that treats your Father to worsen his illness, and not to cure it. So that Princess Layla may return to the kingdom. But due to unexpected happenings, your Mother didn't have the time to return because she gave birth to you and she passed away. Now Princess, do you want the same thing to happen to your beloved 'brothers'? I already told you a while ago, the King is a scary one, and his orders are absolute. If he wants someone to get killed, he'll do it as soon as he wants it. So, do you choose your freedom? Or your brother's lives? We'll never know what the King would do if you went against him just like what your Mother did. Let's just assume that he'll repeat what he did to your Father. Please think about it Princess." Rufus whispered to her ear. Lucy's face suddenly went pale with fear after hearing what just Rufus told her.

"I . . . I'm going home." Lucy just responded, without looking at him.

"I'll be waiting for your answer tomorrow, Princess." Rufus spoke, bent down on one knee, and kissed her hand. Lucy slowly turned her back and walked towards the door, finally exiting his office.

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While Lucy, Natsu and Gray walked towards their home in silence, Natsu and Gray held her hands side by side.

"Lucy, don't worry. We'll protect you. The three of us will protect you." Natsu spoke. Lucy just remained silent, as if in deep thoughts.

"Lucy . . ." Gray just whispered worriedly and squeezed Lucy's hand softly.

"Gray, we have to talk to Jellal-nii later." Natsu spoke to Gray.

"Yeah, we really should." Gray agreed.

"Uhm . . ." Lucy finally broke her silence.

"What is it Lucy?" the twins chorused eagerly.

"Well . . . Can the four of us sleep together tonight?" Lucy asked hesitantly.

"Of course! How can we refuse?" the two responded quickly.

Lucy smiled and squeezed both of their hands. "Thank you." she just replied.

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Later, when night finally came and Jellal got home from his part-time job, Lucy greeted him.

"Welcome back, Jellal-nii." Lucy greeted him.

"I'm home, Princess." Jellal greeted back. Lucy suddenly walked towards him and hugged him.

"Lucy, what's the matter?" Jellal asked her worriedly.

"Nothing. I just missed you, Jellal-nii." Lucy responded.

"Really? I missed you too, a lot." Jellal said and hugged her back.

"Let's eat dinner now. Gray-nii and Natsu-nii are already waiting at the table." Lucy spoke as she pulled his hand towards the dining table. Jellal just smiled and followed her.

"Welcome back." The twins greeted Jellal as they sat at the table.

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"You know what? Lucy wanted the four of us to sleep together tonight!" Natsu exclaimed to Jellal.

"Really? What could be the reason?" Jellal asked and glanced at Lucy.

"Uhm . . . I just wanted the four of us to have a bonding time." Lucy answered.

"Oh? That's a good idea Lucy. But you seem a little down today, something bothering you?" Jellal asked again.

"Natsu, should we tell him now?" Gray whispered to Natsu in a low voice.

"Tell me what?" Jellal suddenly asked, hearing Gray's whisper. The twins flinched with his question.

* * *

_**A/N: **_**_Okay, I'll just leave a little cliffhanger at the end of the chapter. Heehee._**

**_*The name Laura was totally made up by me, so there's no such character in Fairy Tail named Laura (as far as I know ;))_**

**_Update: I finally remembered where I got the idea of cousins marrying. Heehee. It was from Black Butler (Kuroshitsuji), Ciel's fiancée is his own cousin Elizabeth. ;)_**


	21. Chapter 21

**My Annoying Brothers**

"Ah! Well . . . A while ago, Rufus-sensei . . ." Gray spoke hesitantly to Jellal.

"What's with him?" Jellal asked again.

"It's nothing!" Lucy suddenly butted in, and she glanced at Gray. He understood that she still doesn't want Jellal to know about it yet. "I just came to see him at his office this afternoon because he wants to talk about my grades. Gray-nii and Natsu-nii accompanied me." She continued.

"Oh, so how are your grades?"

"Sensei told me that I've been doing well so far."

"That's great. I see no reason why he has to see you after class if you're doing well. Good thing Gray and Natsu came with you."

"Uhm . . . Yeah, you're right . . ." Lucy just replied.

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After dinner, the twins prepared the futon that the four of them will sleep on. Moments later, Jellal and Lucy also entered the room.

"So, shall we play some games first?" Gray asked them.

"Oh yeah! Pillow fight!" Natsu exclaimed.

"Hey! It's unfair! How will I win against three guys?" Lucy complained.

"Don't worry Lucy, Let's team up." Natsu replied.

"As if I'd let you, idiot." Gray suddenly spoke. "Team up with me, Lucy." He whispered to her.

"I was the first one to join her! Get away!" Natsu shouted and threw a pillow at Gray.

"I don't care! Stupid flame thrower!" Gray shouted back and threw the pillow back at Natsu. The two continued on with their fight.

"They just started the pillow fight on their own." Lucy muttered to herself while sweat dropping.

"Indeed." Jellal spoke as he watched the twins. Lucy just grinned.

"Are you alright, Lucy?" Jellal asked her.

"O-of course! Why do you ask?"

"Nothing . . . If something is bothering you, don't hesitate to tell me. Okay? I'd be more than willing to help you, whatever it is." Jellal said and put his hand on top of hers. Lucy just smiled and nodded at him. Out of nowhere, a pillow suddenly flew straight at Jellal's face. Lucy laughed hard after seeing it.

"Hey! Jellal-nii, that's so sly!" Natsu blurted out. Jellal stood up and threw the pillow back at Natsu's face.

"What are you saying? Are you challenging me now, Natsu?" Jellal retorted.

"Oops. Stop there. . ." Lucy suddenly spoke. "I got an idea. Let's play Uno. The player who earned the least points will be punished by the player who earned the most points. It can be a punishment or an order. What do you think?"

"Nice. . . Say your prayers now, Natsu." Gray whispered as he cracked his knuckles.

"Huh . . . You wish!" Natsu spoke back in irritation.

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After the first game . . .

"Lucky!" Lucy screamed in delight. She was the first one to earn the most points.

"Damn . . ." Gray then murmured in disappointment for his loss. "I guess I'm still lucky if Lucy will be the one to punish me." He continued. "I don't mind if you punish me for the rest of the night."

"Tch . . . Another sly one." Natsu muttered. Lucy giggled at his expression.

"Okay. I won't let you suffer too much Gray-nii. But don't hate me for this." She said.

"Sure. . . It'll be fine as long as it's you."

"I want you to wear long sleeves and sweatpants throughout the night. Stripping is forbidden. Yeah, add the socks and muffler scarf too."

"W-what?! Are you serious?" Gray spoke in shock while Jellal and Natsu are snickering.

"Yeah, I'm totally serious Gray-nii." Lucy answered.

"Can't be helped . . ." Gray muttered and stood up to change his clothes. He sat down again wearing the clothes Lucy mentioned. Natsu let out a laugh as he stared at Gray.

"What are you looking at, you dumbass?!" Gray yelled angrily at Natsu.

"Totally suits you, Gray!" Natsu answered, trying to hold back his laugh.

"Whatever . . . At least it's a punishment from Lucy, not from you." Gray bragged at him.

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After the second game . . .

Lucy lowered her head in disappointment. "Jellal-nii, go easy on me please." She begged.

"Damn it, why didn't I win? What a waste!" Natsu blurted in frustration. "I really wanted her to do this and that to me . . ."

"What do you mean by _this and that_?" Gray asked suspiciously. "She's not that kind of girl!"

"I haven't said anything yet! And what makes you think that you're thinking what I'm thinking, huh?" Natsu retorted.

"I just knew it." Gray simply replied.

"Okay that's enough guys." Jellal spoke. "Time to punish Lucy now."

"Hey, Jellal-nii! Don't make it sound so scary!" Lucy continued to beg.

"Hmm . . . Okay, I'll let you choose a level of difficulty. Easy, normal, or hard?" Jellal asked her. "Just choose one."

"Of course I'll choose easy!" Lucy quickly replied. "Better to be safe than to be sorry."

"Then I want you to sleep beside me tonight." Jellal stated.

"Uhm, that's all?" Lucy asked, unsure if she heard it right.

"Yes, very easy, right?" Jellal responded and winked at her. "That's my order."

"Tch. Jellal-nii gets all the luck tonight." Natsu whispered. "So unfair."

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.

.

After the third game . . .

"Hahahaa! Say your prayers, Natsu!" Gray declared with evil eyes. "Time for revenge!"

"Please don't be harsh on your beloved twin, Gray." Natsu spoke with puppy eyes.

"Of course . . . Why would I do that to you? You're my precious twin after all." Gray spoke in a semi-sarcastic tone. "All you have to do is wear a cat ears headband throughout the night. Yeah, even while we sleep."

"What the heck? I don't wanna!" Natsu exclaimed.

"Why? That's just a piece of cake Natsu." Gray responded with a grin.

"Never in my whole life! And besides, I don't have that kind of thing!" Natsu continued.

"Oh, I have, Natsu-nii." Lucy spoke with a smile. "Wanna borrow?"

"Uh . . . So Gray knew that Lucy has it, and used it to his advantage. Damn you, Gray." Natsu blurted out. "By the way, why do you have that kind of thing, Lucy?"

"It was a birthday gift of a classmate from way, way back. I'm not using it because I'm not into that kind of hobby, but I'm still keeping it because it's cute."

"I still don't wanna do it." Natsu firmly said.

"Don't be like that Natsu. It's just this once." Jellal persuaded him.

"Yeah, you can do it Natsu-nii!" Lucy agreed.

"You'll just laugh at me the entire night!" Natsu yelled, feeling embarrassed.

"At least you made everyone happy." Gray spoke. "Come on, we're waiting."

"Do you want me to assist you, Natsu-nii?" Lucy asked him. She stood up and pulled Natsu's hand. "Let's go to my room then." And since it was Lucy, he obediently followed her.

Few minutes later, Lucy and Natsu returned to the twins' bedroom. Jellal and Gray burst out laughing as soon as they saw Natsu wearing the cat ears.

"I knew it! I knew it!" Natsu yelled in embarrassment. "You'll pay for this Gray! I'm telling you!"

"Now, now." Lucy spoke. "It really looks good on you Natsu-nii." She whispered.

"R-really? No kidding . . . ?" Natsu asked skeptically.

"Yeah, honest!"

"Right! You should do that often Natsu!" Gray shouted in between laughs.

"Shut up! I don't want to hear that from you!"

.

.

.

They played two more games until they decided to finally sleep.

"Damn, I think I laughed too much. My stomach hurts now. It's your fault Gray." Natsu groaned.

"Don't blame me. Blame Jellal-nii for this." Gray responded.

"But it was entertaining right? Gray really is an amazing dancer." Jellal spoke.

"I don't wanna do this embarrassing thing in front of Lucy again." Gray replied.

"Why Gray-nii? Please do it again for me!" Lucy spoke with enthusiasm.

"Err . . . Well . . . If it's for Lucy, I guess it won't hurt to do it again. But ONLY in front of Lucy." Gray stated.

"Lucy, I can do it better than Gray. Wanna see?" Natsu uttered.

"Shut it Flame brain. You don't have any talent."

"I have! And I'm way, way better than you!"

"Don't believe him Lucy, he's just trying to impress you."

"I'm not! And I'm telling the truth!"

"Okay, okay time to sleep." Jellal suddenly interrupted. "Continue your argument tomorrow. It's already late."

"Fine." The twins chorused and calmed down.

"By the way, where's my good night kiss Lucy?" Natsu spoke.

"Mine too." Gray added.

"Yes, yes. Here it is." Lucy replied and gave the three guys a kiss on the cheek.

"Lady Luck is on Jellal-nii's side tonight." Natsu spoke as the four of them finally positioned themselves on the futon. "He hasn't lost in our game even once."

"Yeah you're right, Natsu-nii." Lucy agreed. "I even hoped I can give him a punishment just once."

"Sure. What punishment is it?" Jellal asked as he lied down beside Lucy and stared at her.

"Ah . . . Well, never mind that Jellal-nii!" Lucy quickly answered with flushed cheeks. "I'm just kidding!"

"Oh really? Tonight might be your chance . . ." Jellal teased her. Lucy blushed deeper with his words.

"W-wha . . . ?! Anyway, let's sleep now. We still have school tomorrow!" Lucy nervously spoke.

"Okay, I'll turn off the lights now." Gray said. Then the faint light of the bedside lamp remained. "Good night!" the twins chorused and finally lied down to sleep.

Jellal smiled after seeing Lucy's nervousness. "Sure. Good night Princess." He whispered to her ear. Lucy's heart skipped a beat after hearing the word 'Princess'. She remembered everything that happened just a few hours ago which suddenly made her feel sad.

"Uhm . . . Y-yeah . . . Good night." she replied weakly.

"I can clearly see that there's something bothering you. Please tell me or I won't be able to sleep." Jellal continued to whisper in an almost inaudible voice. But Lucy didn't respond, she just reached for his hand and squeezed it. Jellal squeezed her hand in return and kissed it. "Tell me anything and I'll do even the impossible, just to make you happy." He whispered again.

"Just you being by my side is already enough, Jellal-nii." Lucy whispered back.

"I'll always be by your side, that goes without saying." Jellal replied.

"Thank you. . . " Lucy finally said and closed her eyes. Jellal just gazed at her sleeping face. When he finally noticed that she's in a deep sleep, he slowly gave her a peck on the lips. "I'll never forgive anyone who tries to make you sad, whoever that person may be." He whispered.

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.

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**~Next Day~**

When the classes are finally over, Lucy went to Rufus' office again to give her response. Gray and Natsu went with her but the two of them stayed outside because Lucy wants to talk to Rufus alone.

"So Princess, have you finally decided?" Rufus asked her with his usual smile.

"Y-yeah. I have decided, Rufus-sensei." Lucy answered with her head down, avoiding eye contact.

"Let's hear it then."

"I . . . I'll go with you. But I beg you, please leave my brothers alone. Don't do anything to them. They don't have anything to do with my situation." Lucy spoke sadly with clenched fists. Rufus smiled as he stood up from his chair and walked up to Lucy.

"You made the right decision, Princess. Don't worry about your brothers, the King will leave them alone as long as they don't do something reckless, and as long as you agree to marry me."

"I . . . I'll m-marry y-you . . ." Lucy whispered slowly, as if she can't pronounce the words properly.

"That's great Princess! I'll contact the King right away so they can start the preparations for your arrival at the castle. He will be surely delighted. You don't know how eager he is to meet you personally."

"I'll go home now, Rufus-sensei. . . "

"Oh come on . . . Just call me Rufus. Calling your future husband 'Sensei' is too weird. We should start acting intimate from now on." Rufus said as he drew his face nearer to kiss her, but Lucy turned her head away.

"Don't . . ." Lucy spoke firmly.

Rufus chuckled. "Fine. I'll save all my temptations until our wedding night, Princess. By the way, in six days, at twelve midnight, I'll come to pick you up. You don't have to bring anything."

And with that said, Lucy left his office.

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"What did you talk to him about, Lucy?" Gray asked her as they started to walk home.

"Uhm . . . Nothing! I just said I still don't believe anything that he told me yesterday." Lucy replied casually.

"Yeah. Just ignore him Lucy. We are your only family. We'll stick together until our hair turns white." Natsu agreed.

"Y-yeah . . . You're right!" Lucy answered with a fake smile. "By the way, can the four of us sleep together again tonight?"

"Of course! Let's have a pillow fight this time!" Natsu exclaimed excitedly.

"Dumbass . . . Lucy doesn't want it!" Gray spoke.

"Well, it's fine actually. But I already thought of something." Lucy stated.

"What is it?" Gray asked.

"It is something that we can do in the dark, right Natsu-nii?" Lucy said as she looked at Natsu. Natsu grinned at her. "Sure!"

"Huh? What's that?" Gray asked in confusion.

"Hide and seek!" Natsu and Lucy answered in unison.

"Haha! As if Jellal-nii would agree to that childish game." Gray spoke.

"He'll agree! It was Lucy's suggestion after all." Natsu answered.

"Oh that's right. It's as if we're returning to our younger selves. It's so nostalgic." Gray agreed.

"Yeah. Mom and Dad are still alive that time." Lucy added. "They would always scold Natsu-nii because he always bumps into vases and almost breaks them."

"And he's usually the first one to be found. Hahaha!" Gray continued and laughed hard.

"Idiot. I almost broke a vase. But you actually broke a vase!" Natsu angrily retorted. "Mom and Dad didn't give you access to computer games for a week because of that. So lame!"

"It's your fault! You pushed me that's why it broke! It's your fault but I'm the one who suffered!" Gray shouted.

The two bickered until they reached their home. Lucy just smiled while watching them.

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.

For the next six nights, Lucy continued to request for the four of them to sleep together. They would always have fun and play games before they sleep. Lucy decided that she wants to make a lot of happy memories with her brothers before she can part with them. She always wore those fake smiles but it seems that Jellal can see through all of them, but he just kept silent.

The last night finally came, and Lucy felt very uneasy.

"So, what games are we playing today?" Natsu asked while having their dinner.

"Uhm, Natsu-nii. . . I'm sorry but we can't sleep together this night. I have a lot of homework to finish, and I'll be working on them before I sleep." Lucy responded.

"Oh, that's bad." Natsu spoke, disappointment evident on his face. "I just kind of got used to four of us sleeping together now. But I guess tonight is a pass."

"Y-yeah. Sorry about that Natsu-nii." Lucy apologized.

"It's okay! You don't have to say sorry! We can always do it when we're all available. Right Gray?"

"Yeah. You don't have to worry about us Lucy." Gray agreed.

"Thank you!" Lucy said and smiled to them. Then they continued on with their dinner. But Jellal kept on staring at Lucy as if he's reading her mind.

It's finally time for them to sleep so they said their good nights and went to their rooms. Lucy sat down on her bed and slowly ran her hand on the sheets. Tears slowly filled her eyes and finally flowed freely down her cheeks. She stared at the room that has been a part of her life for sixteen years. She looked at her wall clock, it's still nine in the evening, she still has three hours before stepping out of the house permanently. Just thinking about it brings a painful stab in her heart. She doesn't want to go but her brothers' safety is more important than anything else.

She dressed up to get ready. Lucy didn't pack up any of her things because it will be too painful to see them and it will just remind her of her brothers. When the time reached eleven, she slowly opened her door to see if her brothers are already asleep. She has to make sure no one will notice her going out of the house. When the door was fully opened, she got surprised to see Jellal standing outside her room, looking suspiciously at her. She suddenly felt nervous.

"Je-Jellal-nii . . . What are you doing here? Why are you still awake?" Lucy asked, forcing her voice to be casual.

"Where are you going Lucy?" Jellal asked her straight. "I knew it. There's something going on."

Lucy became more nervous, she doesn't know what to say.

* * *

_A/N: Hi there. Sorry to disappoint you but this is not blondegirl13. This is her brother. If you wonder what happened to my sister, well, she just got promoted from her job two months ago. So since that time, she has been so busy seven days a week, (even weekends!) She barely had any time to finish writing a chapter so this one took too long to be updated. And she just asked me a favor to upload this chapter for her. So just bear with it if it takes a month or two before she updates a new chapter. She's been so busy that I'm starting to get jealous of her boss because they're always together all the time. (Although her boss is an old lady. LOL. I hope my sister won't read this. She's busy anyway) She hopes that you enjoy this chapter even though there might be some errors. And she also wants to give her thanks to all the readers who loved this. Jaa ne!_

**_Update: blondegirl13: Okay, I've read it bro, I didn't know you actually think of me that way. You made me blush. That's why no doubt you're really the real-life Agata Soujirou, especially in appearance and intellect. I'll introduce you to my boss ASAP, if you want. Use your charm and tell her to stop torturing me. Heehee. _**


	22. Chapter 22

**My Annoying Brothers**

A deafening silence passed between them.

"Lucy . . ." Jellal whispered.

"Ah! Eh . . . You're wrong! Nothing's going on!" Lucy responded immediately while waving her hands in the air.

"Then why are you dressed like that? Going somewhere this time of night?" Jellal asked skeptically.

"Th-this . . . Well, I . . . I'm just trying out this new outfit if it will look good on me . . . So, how is it, Jellal-nii?" Lucy asked, trying to sound normal, but gets more nervous every passing second.

"Anything you wear looks good on you . . ." Jellal answered and started walking towards Lucy. "So-"

"I . . . I need to go to the toilet!" Lucy suddenly spoke and walked past Jellal.

"Lucy, wait!" Jellal called, but Lucy already went inside the bathroom. He decided to just wait outside until she comes out, but . . .

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**~Next Morning~**

"Jellal-nii? Hey . . . Hey!" Gray called out to Jellal while patting his shoulder.

"Hmm?" Jellal responded as he slowly opened his eyes.

"Why are you sleeping here? Did you sleepwalk last night?" Gray asked. Then Jellal suddenly realized something.

"Shit! I slept! Where's Lucy?!" He quickly stood up, his expression panicking.

"Where? I guess she's still sleeping inside her room . . . It's still early. What's the matter? Did something happen to her?" Gray asked in confusion, but Jellal didn't answer him and instead, rushed towards Lucy's room.

"She's not here!" he exclaimed. "DAMN IT! Where did she go?!" Jellal continued, his words full of uneasiness. He went back and rushed to the bathroom, and found a piece of paper stuck on the mirror, with the words '_I'm sorry, please forgive me_' written in Lucy's penmanship.

"W-what? Don't tell me . . ." Gray spoke as he saw the paper, he started to get nervous. He ran towards their room. "Natsu! Wake up! LUCY'S GONE!" he shouted and shook Natsu's shoulders violently, which made Natsu wake up in a split second. He rushed to Jellal and read the words written in the crumpled piece of paper.

"No way . . ." Natsu whispered in disbelief. "She said she won't go with him. . ."

"_Him?"_ Jellal asked. "Who is it? Who is that bastard?! Tell me Natsu!" he continued, his eyes looking at Natsu impatiently.

"Wait, Jellal-nii let's calm down first and talk about this thoroughly." Gray interrupted. But Jellal just glanced at him and clenched his fists tightly.

"I know I'm usually calm when problems arise. . . But when it comes to Lucy, I won't be able to calm down . . . Just knowing that Lucy is being taken by some unknown man, in an unknown place, you can't expect me to just relax. . . What if he tried to do something to her . . . What if he tried to hurt her . . . My mind is so restless right now. . . I knew it. She keeps on telling there's nothing wrong. But I knew there's something bothering her all this time. Damn it . . . I'll never forgive whoever that asshole is." Jellal explained in a calm voice, but with an intense anger in his expression.

"Actually . . . He's not an unknown man. You know him." Gray spoke.

"W-what does that mean?" Jellal asked.

Then, that moment, Natsu and Gray told Jellal everything that happened inside Rufus' office, and the truth they discovered about Lucy's identity. Contrary to their expectations, Jellal doesn't seem to be surprised at all.

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"So . . . Jellal-nii, we're sorry that we didn't tell you sooner. Lucy was concerned about you and doesn't want to let you worry about her. We're really sorry." Gray apologized.

"You don't have to apologize. Actually, I already have a hunch that this will eventually happen." Jellal responded.

"What do you mean? So you already knew that Lucy is a princess long before Rufus appeared?" Natsu asked in shock.

"Well, a bit of a yes and no." Jellal answered.

"Yes and no? That's vague." Gray spoke.

"I'll explain. Actually it was when Lucy first told us about Sting a few years ago. I tried to find out about his personal background, it was quite difficult to dig out his private information, but I eventually discovered that he has royal blood. His mother's appearance has a bit of resemblance to Lucy, which I simply took as a coincidence. Aside from not wanting Lucy to interact with other guys, I also don't want her to be involved with someone with such status that would only catch malicious people's attention and possibly ruin her private life. So I did everything to prevent her from going near Sting again. And now, I didn't expect that they would actually turn out to be blood-related. And that Lucy is far more superior in status compared to him." Jellal explained sadly.

"But Lucy already refused that bastard Rufus! We were there when she directly refused him!" Natsu exclaimed.

"I can only think of one possible reason. That Rufus blackmailed her." Jellal answered. "Knowing Lucy, she doesn't want to cause us trouble. And he took advantage of that."

"That's what I also thought. . . " Gray agreed.

"Okay. Let's go to the Academy first. Let's find Sting." Jellal said. The twins nodded in response.

"I hate asking for help from that jerk. But if it's the only way for us to save Lucy, then I guess we'll have truce for now." Natsu spoke.

"If he truly cares about Lucy, then he's certainly against their marriage, even if it's his brother. And as far as I know, they don't really get along well as siblings. Maybe because they have different fathers." Gray explained.

"If he refused to help us, we'll find another way. But before that, I'll make him regret not giving us a hand." Jellal added.

"You're scary, Jellal-nii." Gray commented.

"I can't help it, I'm desperate." Jellal responded.

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**~Meanwhile~**

"Princess, it's time to wake up." Rufus softly whispered. Lucy woke up when she felt something ticklish in her ear and slowly opened her eyes. She was surprised to see Rufus seductively gazing at her; she immediately sat up and moved a distance from Rufus.

"W-what are you doing?! Where am I?!" Lucy screamed. She took a glance around her and realized she was inside a large, unfamiliar room. She was sitting on a luxurious four-pillar canopy bed with gold-colored drapes.

"Where? This is your room, Princess. This will be your room starting today. Extravagant, isn't it? Exactly fit for a lovely princess like you." Rufus answered with a smile.

"M-my room?" Lucy repeated, glancing again around her. It's like she's in a dream, she can't believe her eyes. Rufus is telling the truth, the princess' chamber is truly extravagant. Exactly how it looks like in the fairy tales she heard when she was a child.

"B-by the way, how did I get here? I don't remember anything." Lucy suddenly asked him.

"You were crying too much last night inside the limousine that you eventually cried to sleep. I don't want to disturb your slumber so I brought you here."

"D-did you do anything to me?!" Lucy asked nervously, slowly increasing her distance to Rufus.

"Do I really seem that bad to you?" Rufus chuckled. "It's true that I'm kind of impatient to make you mine, but it's against my values to take advantage of a sleeping girl, it's not very arousing. And don't worry; I slept in my own room after bringing you here." He explained calmly. Lucy's nervousness rose up when Rufus began to come nearer.

"And you think that I'll just simply believe you? I don't trust you!" she yelled anxiously.

"Why would I lie to you? If I really did something to you last night, I won't hesitate to tell you that I really did something. Besides, I'm your future husband. There's no need for me to hurry. Please relax, I'm not going to eat you . . . yet." Rufus teasingly spoke to her while softly rubbing his thumb on her cheek.

"H-how will I relax around you if you keep on teasing me? Please stop it. I already agreed to marry you."

"I'm sorry, Princess." Rufus apologized as he finally stopped caressing her cheek. "Whenever I see you, I just want to touch you. But I'll restrain myself from now on if that's what you want."

"That would be a relief." She said and let out a heavy sigh. "By the way, why are you here?" she asked. And as if he remembered something, he quickly stood up from the bed.

"Oh right, I almost forgot the reason why I came here. The King wants to see you, Princess. So I came here to get you. We'll have breakfast together."

"But . . ." Lucy whispered and started to think deeply. She's confused whether she should see the person who made the lives of her parents miserable. She doesn't know what expression to make, or what to say in front of him. _Jellal-nii, Gray-nii, Natsu-nii, what am I gonna do? I miss you, and I'm scared without all of you beside me._ _I want to go home. I want to see you._ Lucy thought sadly to herself. _But I have to do this. All my life you all have protected me, so it's my turn to protect all of you. I won't let anyone harm you._

"No need to be scared, Princess. He may be scary, but he's got a gentle side to him too. Especially for you since your Mother was her favorite daughter. I'll be with you when you meet him. My parents are also waiting for us. I'm very thrilled to let them meet you. I'm sure they feel the same." Rufus reassured her with a wink.

"W-wait, your parents are also there? I think I'm really not prepared . . ."

"Come on . . . Don't forget that they are also your future parents. It'll be fine. You look beautiful." He complimented.

"S-stop making jokes . . ." Lucy whispered as she slightly blushed.

"I'm telling the truth. So, let's go?"

"Uhm . . . Wait . . . By the way, where's Sting?" Lucy suddenly asked. Rufus' smile faded.

"He's at the Academy. Why are you even looking for that brat? He doesn't have anything to do with us."

"Why? Doesn't he eat breakfast together with you? He is a part of your family."

"Yes. But he is my Mother's child from an illicit affair. He himself knew that, and that's why he's the one keeping his distance from us. He thinks that he doesn't belong here."

"Maybe he wants to live with his real Father?"

"That seems to be the case, but he actually doesn't know who his real father is. Our mother wouldn't tell him, because the truth is, his father already had a family even before the affair happened. If the fact about him leaks out in public, it would ruin the royal family's reputation. So his real identity was kept secret, and he's recognized as a legitimate son, although he's not widely known in Fiore as a royalty because he rarely goes out and participates in royal gatherings."

"But I still wonder why he's being distant from you. Do the King and your parents treat him well?"

"Of course. Everyone here treats him the same way everyone treats me. Even my father treats him like a real son. Our mother is being too considerate of him that she lets him do whatever he wants. He doesn't want to eat together with us, then fine. There was even a time he was asked by the King if he ever wanted to become the Crown Prince, but he flat-out rejected the idea. I tried to be close to him and become a good older brother to him, but I guess he really hates me. That brat is really stubborn, and we can never figure out what is going on inside his head. So to be honest, I'm quite surprised to know he has someone he likes, and it turns out to be you, my soon-to-be-wife. It's some kind of unbelievable twist of fate, isn't it?"

"Yeah . . . Now I kinda feel sorry for him."

"You don't have to feel sorry for that selfish brat. He's the one being distant to us. And if I'm not mistaken, he did some horrible things to you some time in the past, am I right?"

"Y-you're right . . . But despite that, I still consider him as a friend." Lucy spoke.

"You don't need to bother yourself with him." Rufus replied. "Anyway, we must go now and meet everyone. This is the first time we've had a long conversation, and I would really like for us to continue, but we shouldn't make them wait. We can talk again after breakfast. Come now, Princess." He continued and stretched his hand to Lucy.

"I don't look presentable right now." Lucy said, referring to her still puffy eyes.

"It doesn't matter how you look today. The King demands to see you regardless of what you're wearing or what your appearance is. He is too eager to meet you. And besides, I already told you that you're beautiful."

"I'm really not that hungry . . ."

"Princess, you're making too many excuses. If you still won't get off the bed, then I'll just hold you and carry you until we get there." Rufus stated seductively.

"F-fine! I'll go . . . But let me freshen up first." Lucy finally accepted. "Where's the bathroom?"

"This way, Princess." Rufus answered and motioned his hand towards a door just across the direction of her bed. "Do you want me to accompany you?"

"No, thanks!" Lucy quickly responded as she stood up from the bed and headed towards the bathroom. _Woah, my chamber has its own bathroom, and this is too big! This is really like a dream._ _I wish I can show this to my brothers._ She thought to herself as she looked around.

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.

.

"By the way, Sensei . . ." Lucy suddenly spoke as they are headed towards the dining table.

"Yes, Princess?"

"Can I still see my brothers?" Lucy timidly asked.

"Unfortunately, I have no authority over that matter. You can ask the King later about it."

"Uhm, yeah. . . That's right." she just agreed.

"And Princess, please don't call me 'Sensei'. We're not teacher and student anymore. Call me 'Rufus' or much better if you would call me 'My Prince'. . . "

"W-what? Then I guess I'll call you Rufus . . ." Lucy decided, then she heard Rufus chuckle. Lucy looked at him, puzzled.

"Princess, it seems you know how to push my buttons. I like that." He said.

"I don't get what you're saying."

"You'll understand it soon."

"By the way, in exchange for me not calling you 'Sensei', please do not call me 'Princess'. Just call me 'Lucy', I'm more comfortable being called that way."

"As you wish, Lucy."

"Thanks."

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When they finally reached the King's dining room, Lucy was surprised to see how wide it is. It's almost five times bigger than the Princess' chamber. She also noticed the numerous paintings on the walls, which she thought were the portraits of the royal families in the past. _I wonder if my mother's portrait is here too._ She told herself. And then her eyes finally caught sight of the incredibly long and splendid dining table. It was surrounded by servants dressed uniformly. There are even knights in armor at every corner of the room.

"We're here, Grandfather." Rufus suddenly declared. All eyes turned to them. Lucy suddenly felt her heart throb painfully because of nervousness. She unconsciously gripped Rufus' sleeve tightly with her sweaty palms.

"It's okay, Lucy. They're your family too." Rufus whispered to her.

Then out of the blue, someone stood up from the dining table and walked towards them. Lucy felt an intimidating aura around him.

"I finally met you." he said and gave Lucy a tight embrace. The gesture was too sudden that she only stood there dumbfounded. "You're really Layla's daughter, there's no mistake. You're as beautiful as your mother."

"Lucy, I would like to introduce to you the King, he's King Jiemma. And he's also our Grandfather." Rufus introduced him after King Jiemma released Lucy from his embrace.

Lucy bowed in front him and spoke, "Ah . . . Eh . . . Nice to meet you, your Highness. I am-"

"I know, Princess Lucy. You're my one and only granddaughter. Just call me Grandfather. I've been wanting to meet you all this time, Lucy."

"M-me too, Grandfather." She politely answered. She wanted to feel resentment towards the man in front of her, but she doesn't know why she can't. It feels like she already knew this man for a long time.

"Come, let's have breakfast, Lucy. What do you want to eat? I'll have it prepared immediately if you don't like what's served at the table." King Jiemma wasted no time spoiling Lucy.

"Uhm . . . It's fine, I'll eat whatever's on the table. Please don't worry about me." Lucy answered while they were being seated at the dining table.

"Is that so? Okay then, but if there's something you want, don't hesitate to tell me." King Jiemma continued.

"Father, you're spoiling Lucy too much. She's getting stressed. Right, Lucy?" the woman seated across her spoke while smiling.

"Oh right, Lucy, this is my Mom, and this is my Dad." Rufus introduced his parents to her and took his seat beside Lucy.

"It's a pleasure to meet you . . . Aunt, Uncle." Lucy greeted them politely and bowed in her seat.

"The pleasure is ours, Lucy. Welcome to the castle." Laura, Rufus' mother, responded. "You look exactly like my sister when she was your age, it brings back memories. I'm really glad I met you, it's like meeting her again."

"R-really? I wish I had met her too." Lucy replied briefly.

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**~Back to the three brothers~**

Jellal, Gray and Natsu finally reached Fairy Academy. They wasted no time and immediately rushed to Lucy's classroom to find Sting.

"Oh, Lucy's brothers are here! Jellal-senpai, why's Lucy not with you?" Mira asked him.

"It's a long story. Where's Sting?" Jellal asked back.

"Sting-kun? He just went outside. Maybe he'll be back in a minute, class is going to start anyway. What's the rush?"

"It's a long story. Okay thanks, Mira!" Gray said and the three went out of the classroom.

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.

"What the hell is with the 'long story' they are talking about?" Cana asked in confusion.

"Beats me. They're acting weird. And Lucy's not with them. I wonder if she had fever." Mira responded.

"Maybe Sting is the reason of Lu-chan's fever, that's why they're looking for him so that they can beat the crap out of him." Levy interrupted.

"I see." Mira and Cana both replied.

"Guys, you're jumping to conclusions. Your imaginations are so wild that it's scary. We're not even sure if Lucy really has a fever." Lisanna spoke.

"I know! Maybe after Rufus-Sensei confessed to Lucy, she fell in love with him and they eloped in the middle of the night! And since Sting-kun is Sensei's half-brother, they're teaming up to chase after the two and bring Lucy back!" Juvia exclaimed excitedly. _**(A/N: Combination of truth and imagination. Heehee)**_

"Juvia, that's a wild imagination in a whole new level compared to Levy." Erza commented. The other girls laughed.

.

.

.

The three continued to look for Sting around the Academy.

"Where on earth did that bastard go?" Natsu spoke in irritation.

"Dunno. But surely he's just inside the Academy." Gray replied.

"Yeah, he's just around here. Continue to look for him. By the way I'll just go buy a drink, I suddenly felt thirsty." Jellal told them. "We ran all the way here without eating or drinking any."

"Now that you say it." Natsu agreed. "Buy for us too."

"Okay." Jellal said, and started to look for a vending machine. He finally found one and walked towards it when he saw someone familiar standing beside it.

"Y-you . . . !" Jellal yelled to him. The person turned to look at Jellal.

"What do you want?" Sting asked annoyingly.

* * *

**A/N:** _And that's the end of the chapter! Heehee. Yay, blondegirl has returned! I felt that decades has passed since I last logged in and updated my stories. Heehee. I'm exaggerating. I apologize if this chapter has some spelling mistakes or grammatical errors. T_T (Or out of plot scenes. Heehee. Notify me!) King Jiemma seems kind here, but this is just the start! And next chapter I'm going to introduce new characters. One isn't from Fairy Tail, he's from another anime, heehee. Why? I just think he perfectly suits the role. Guess who? ;) _

_These past months have been sooo busy for me. My boss made me work to death from morning until night! Damn it. I wish that she'll remain single all her life. (Just kidding!) But now, my work schedule has finally returned to normal. (No more overtime! Banzai! No more weekend work! Banzai!) Heehee. Excuse me for behaving like this. I'm just overjoyed now. Why? Because I can finally catch up to all the manga and anime I wasn't able to read and watch for over four months. Gotta call my bro and pull an all-nighter and have an anime marathon! Heehee. Actually my normal work schedule for now is just temporary. T_T Because this coming summer we're having another big project. So yeah, let's savor the precious time! Heehee. I'll start to work on editing this story's previous chaps and reupload them._

_I hope I can update this story regularly once a month. If not, I think I'll have to take a temporary hiatus for one whole year. T_T (Yeah, our incoming project is a year long. It makes me want to quit my job. Just kidding.)But I hope I won't resort to taking a hiatus. ;) And yeah, if you are also reading my NaLu fanfic, I'll update the newest chapter tomorrow, so wait for it! ;)_


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